The Lightning Bolt – Lloyd Ellett
I first started boxing at 14-years-old inspired by watching Rocky films at home. Probably my biggest influence was watching a video of the Fab Four – Leonard, Duran, Hagler and Hearns.
Really, you’ve got to say that Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest ever boxer but Sugar Ray Leonard was my favourite and is definitely up there with the best.
I had my first fight only six months after taking up the sport, aged 15, at Lancing Parish Hall. I remember eating two cheeseburgers before the fight and feeling a bit rough when I got into the ring; it’s fair to say that I never did that again!
I ended my amateur career on 64 fights, winning 40 of those and managed to achieve a lot. I was the Southern County champ several years running, an English and British University winner, a Haringey Box Cup gold medallist and was lucky enough to represent England abroad.
I grew up next to Preston Park and you could always find me and my mates playing football over there any chance we could get.
I was lucky to have that on my doorstep and I think it definitely played a part in becoming a professional sportsman later in life. If I was growing up in London with fewer green areas, there might not have been the same opportunity.
I’m fortunate to have a great team around me to have reached 18 wins from 19 fights. My manager is former world heavyweight title challenger, Scott Welch.
You may already know him as Horace ‘Good Night’ Anderson, the bare-knuckle fighter in the Guy Ritchie film ‘Snatch’ that punched Brad Pitt skyward before getting knocked out by the Hollywood A-lister seconds later.
Scott has guided me from the amateurs through to the professional ranks and is a great person to be around. I train at the talent-packed iBox Gym in Bromley with top trainers Alan Smith and Eddie Lamm, and my teammates, WBO European champions Bradley Skeete and Lewis Pettitt, as well as Southern Area titlists Darryll Williams and Johnny Garton.
My next fight is on February 12 at the Metropole Hotel in Brighton against a tough Slovakian boxer, Andrej Moravek.
The travelling opponent is used to hitting the road, competing in five different countries during his seven professional contests, only suffering defeats to unbeaten prospects and holds victories over a few debutants.
Without looking past this fight, I’m keen to push on this year and fight for major titles, whether it’s for the Southern Area, English or British belts.
The event at the Metropole Hotel will be my 20th professional contest and also features some other local lads, Nicky Jenman from Brighton and Shoreham’s Marcus Eaton.
Tickets are available from Lloyd’s official website www.lloydellett.com
To follow Lloyd Ellett on Twitter click here @lighningbolt07
Team Lightning would like to thank sponsors KSD Salt Services and The Shore Group and Pingala Media and PR Manager Tim Rickson