Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has detailed a call that he shared with Scott Fitzgerald, after news that the former British champion will make a comeback in the near future, after well-documented struggles that have kept him out of the ring since 2021.
With wins over Anthony Fowler and Ted Cheeseman, ‘Fitzy’ proved himself to be a worthy British welterweight champion but was unable to defend the Lonsdale belt before the Covid-19 pandemic hit and he turned to drinks and drugs, which in turn led to a stint in prison after pleading guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm on a man at his local pub.
However, Fitzgerald has recently been found not guilty of a rape charge and has returned to the gym, seeking a chance to improve on his 15-0 professional record and he told VIP Boxing of both his relief and excitement.
“It was a heavy f****** thing to have hanging over my head. I stayed strong for as long as I could, but it was a s***** thing to go through.
“I was found innocent very quickly by the jury, with a unanimous verdict. Now, I have a huge weight taken off my shoulders.
“Around September, I started getting back into the gym. I was heavy at 14 and odd stone, and it was all down to my dad getting me back into the gym.
“He always kept asking me to come back, so that was the only reason I linked up with him, and now I am genuinely enjoying being back in the gym. I have a real buzz for boxing again.”
Upon news of Fitzgerald’s comeback, Eddie Hearn opened up on a phone call he shared with the Preston-born Commonwealth Games champion just last week, in an interview with Boxing Social.
“He called me last Saturday, I was just laying on the bed before the [Taylor-Catterall II] show, about to get ready and it was Scott Fitzgerald. It was great to hear from him, he sounded great and he told me that he was coming back.
I am delighted for him, he was unsavable really – if I am being honest. Myself and Steve Wood [fellow promoter] did a great job, got him into a rehab facility and sometimes you need to hit rock bottom before you can actually bounce back and I think that is what happened to him.
It’s great to see him back in the gym, he said that he is going to do a couple of weeks of sparring and then come and see me and then hopefully the story continues. Great fighter and hopefully we can still do something in the sport.
“Of course [I see a future with him and Matchroom], he is a great fighter, but it is a long time out. He has been through a lot and he has put his body through a lot, but the sparring will tell him where he is at and I think that it is a hell of a story.”
Fitzgerald has now outlined his goal of reclaiming his British title and then defending it on three occasions so that he can keep hold of the prestigious belt.
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