Ted going for the Kell

“There were a lot of things being said and written about me, and, even though none of it has come to fruition, I still got to experience being regarded as a prospect.

“Some fighters go their whole career without experiencing something like that or getting results in the end, either, so at least I did get that buzz and I enjoyed it while it lasted. But it probably did put pressure on me.

“When you’re younger, you’re thinking too far ahead rather than dealing with what’s in front of you at the time.

“And when people are talking TED CHEESEMAN wants to do a number on his hero Kell Brook after grabbing the European super-welterweight crown.

The Bermondsey boy challenges Sergio Garcia for his EBU title at the O2 Arena on Saturday.

And if he defeats the Spaniard, he wants a world-title shot or all-british showdown with Brook or Liam Smith.

Cheeseman (right), 23, said: “There are a lot of

However, the 2008 Olympic super-heavyweight bronze medalist added: “Despite having two losses – high-profile defeats, bad knockouts – if somebody had offered me last year the year before, I would have bitten their arm off for it.

“I have to have perspective because I was in no man’s land 18 months ago.

“I had nowhere else to go and I was retired in my own mind after the Christian Hammer fight in February 2017.

“I was thinking, ‘What can I get out of boxing at this stage?’

“Last year, I had two highprofile fights on the undercards of big shows and I got my name back out there.

“Last year feels like it set me up for bigger things this year. I have the fight lined up on March 30 in Liverpool and then there are other things in the pipeline.

“There are a lot of heavyweights out there... and they all need dance partners!” good fighters in my division, Scott Fitzgerald and Anthony Fowler, going through the domestic scene, and Liam Smith and Kell Brook, past world champions who want to challenge for world titles again.

“As long as I win, I’ll be looking to join Brook and Smith and be figh fighting for world titles.”

As for Garcia, Cheeseman added: “Hopefully, I’ll walk out there, dominate, break his heart and take his title.”