Female boxer in W'ton bow

Wolverhampton's first female professional boxer Lyndsey Scragg makes her hometown debut tomorrow night having borrowed a training technique from her opponent's homeland.

The 28-year-old faces Ukrainian Olga Michichev over six, two-minute rounds in a featherweight (9st) contest at the Civic Hall in Darren McDermott's bill-topping bid for a third belt.

Ponytailed Scragg's life has turned upside down in her quest to become a professional fighter, going from BBC set designer to postie to firefighter in a bid to cram work shifts in with hours of gruelling training in all weathers.

And her latest bid to get in tip-top shape has come from Michichev's backyard, where the kettle bell is a popular part of boxer's preparations.

"I've bought a kettle bell to train the Russian way like in the Rocky films," said Scragg, from Fordhouses.

"I paid £45 for it. It's a 16 kilo weight and I've been lifting it 50 times a day all in one go, doing five repetitions of clean and press on each arm.

"Buying the kettle bell has helped. I feel broader and stronger than before."

Pumping the kettle bell every day is just a part of Scragg's daily routine which has transformed the 5ft 4ins art graduate into a toned athlete.

"I've also been doing circuit training for an hour at a time along with short sprints, stepping on and off a box, sparring, working on the pads, stomach work and all different types of press-ups," she said.

"I also did the half marathon recently in about 1hr 50min and I've been running eight to 10 miles for six weeks then three and four miles at a time."

Sparring has also played a key part in honing Scragg's preparations for her third paid outing after easy wins over French and Ghanaian opponents earlier this year at Dudley Town Hall.

"I'm feeling stronger than I've ever felt. My opponent is younger at 18 so she might be fitter, but I've been training twice a day for this and I think I'll be stronger," she added.

"I've been sparring with Jane Couch (ex-British champion and Britain's first female boxer) and Juliette Winter, who is a bantamweight. She's a good little fighter and she's good for my workrate.

"I've been doing eight rounds a time in the gym. I'm a pressure fighter and ideally I'll keep the pressure on for all six rounds.

"I'm happy for the fight to go the full six because I need the rounds, I need the experience."

Scragg's determination hasn't been matched by ticket sales and she will have to go to Germany, Holland or the United States, where deals are more lucrative, if she is serious about progressing.