Lucas ‘fighting fit’ for his pro debut
CAIRNS BOXER RYAN LUCAS TELLS ROWAN SPARKES WHAT IT MEANS TO TAKE HIS NEXT CAREER STEP
CAIRNS boxer Ryan Lucas will enter the ring for the biggest bout of his fledgling career on Queensland’s glitter strip tomorrow night.
The 25-year-old southpaw will make his professional boxing debut at the Christmas Boxing Bash fight night, to be held at the Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort and Spa, against Aussie pro Jesse Travers.
Having amassed a record of more than 50 amateur fights, Lucas is no stranger to stepping inside the squared circle, but the inked-up pugilist, who fights out of Cairns’ Berserkers Gym, admitted tomorrow’s had a decidedly different feel to it.
“I’ve fought on pro-am cards before, but this time I’m a pro,” Lucas said.
“It’s a bit daunting, but it’s also exciting at the same time.
“You only get one chance at your pro debut so I’m planning to just go out and enjoy it.”
Spending countless hours in the gym over the past six months in preparation for the fight, Lucas took his training up another notch in the last month.
In addition to training under Niven Bawden at Berserkers Gym, he also has been putting work in with Ken Dalton from Cairns Boxing Fitness at Redlynch.
“I’ve been doing three mornings and three nights a week at Berserkers, plus three mornings and three nights a week with Ken,” he said.
“So, training twice a day, six days a week. I’ve been on that schedule for a month now.”
Throw in his full-time work commitments and it becomes glaringly obvious just how much the sport of boxing means to Lucas.
At 25 years of age, he has been boxing for more than half his life.
He said he laced gloves up for the first time more than 13 years ago, as a 12-year-old in the New South Wales country town of Bega.
The welterweight said he had “left no stone unturned training-wise” for tomorrow’s fight against Travers, another up-and-comer whose professional record reads two wins, one loss and one draw in his four professional bouts.
“He comes from a family of fighters and he’ll definitely be the toughest opponent I’ve fought so far,” said Lucas.
He said having his hand raised at the conclusion of the three-round affair would be “the icing on the cake”.
“As my first one, I just want to enjoy every second of it,” he said. “But to get a win would be a dream come true.”
Lucas said, if all goes to plan in the ring, he could land a contract with Jamie Myer, the event’s Gold Coast-based promoter.
He said it would be the next step in his professional career.
“They would help me find more fights, but I’d still be based in Cairns and training at Berserkers,” he said.
“They’ll just promote me down there – so I’ll still have a foot in the door while I’m up here.”
Cairns heavyweight Brett Jeffery will also feature on the card, taking on Pat Thunder.