Forward thinking for improving Les Byfield
Dudley's Les Byfield is forward thinking for his next ring date with the BoxNation cameras on hand at Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
It's been a bumpy ride for the lightweight since he turned pro earlier this year, losing on his paid debut to Reece Smith,
That disappointment at the Venue in Dudley made his second bout against Matt Seawright all the more important, with the pitfalls there to see.
Byfield gave nearly a stone away and the wily veteran split his lip, too, from a headbutt but he battled through to, this time, take the points decision.
That came under the Civic lights, which he hopes will be a lucky omen when he takes on another gatekeeper, Michael Stupart, on Saturday's fight night.
'The Minefield,' a product of the unlicensed circuit, turned over with the pro section of Priory Park Boxing Club, but didn't have an amateur career.
And the popular 28-year-old from Netherton believes attack is the best form of defence, having honed his skills in the training ring.
He said: "I'd probably beat Reece Smith now, that's how much I have come on. Matt Seawright was heavier than me and I got the win.
"I've had a lot of sparring for this one, too, and I want to show what I have learned. It's been a tough start, but I'm coming on now.
"I wish I'd had a proper amateur career rather than gone unlicensed, it would have given me a far better grounding for the pros.
"Some of my opponents there dwarfed me, so perhaps that made me too much of a back-foot fighter. It's taken time to adapt, but I'm getting there."
Byfield, super middleweight debutant Josh Miller and Ryan Aston all feature on the card from the Priory stable.
Aston faces former Southern area champion Nathan Graham in an eliminator for Navid Mansouri's English light middleweight title.
The card will be headlined by Tommy Langford's first defence of the WBO Inter-Continental middleweight title against Argentinian Christian Fabian Rios.
Former British, Commonwealth and IBF world champion Paul Butler, who hovers between super fly and bantam, will compete in the fight night's third 10-rounder.
Midlands titlist Andrew Robinson, from Redditch, has been pencilled in for a six-rounder with fellow super middle Tyler Denny, also trained by Shaun Cooper, another appearing.
Frank Warren's television channel will broadcast live with his fighters Josh Leather, Macaulay McGowan, Leon Woodstock and Brummie Raza Hamza completing the line-up
BoxNation is available via subscription on Sky 437-HD 490, Virgin 546 and Talk Talk 415 or online at Livesport.tv, iPhone, iPad and Android.
For tickets - priced at £40, £60 ringside and £100 front row - call the Civic box office on 0870 320 7000 or promoter Paul 'PJ' Rowson on 07976 283 157.
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