The glass is either half-empty or half-full, depending on how you look at life. Sam Eggington has hit the highs and lows of boxing in an exciting, often unpredictable career, but the Stourbridge battler still feels that the good times lie ahead at 154lbs and he can prove that against former British champion Ted Cheeseman in Matchroom’s premier Fight Camp main event on Saturday.
After tough losses to Hassan Mwakinyo and Liam Smith in 2018 and 2019 respectively, former British, Commonwealth and European welterweight champion Eggington has found some form at 154lbs with four straight wins including an eye-catching second round stoppage of Orlando Fiordigiglio in Florence last September.
The belief and energy have coming coursing back and past losses consigned to memory and learning experience.
“Italy was a great adventure for me. I went over there with a chip on my shoulder thinking I had to get it done and get it done right to get me back to where I needed to be,” said Eggington (28-6, 17 KOs).
“We done that, came home and this is what’s next. I’m excited. As soon as I heard about these backgarden brawls, I rang [trainer] Jon [Pegg] and said, ‘We need to be a part of this’. I’m over the moon to be headlining the first one. It’s a good fight and it’s one that I believe I can win and look good in.
“It has all of the makings for a good night. You can lose and come back, history points to that. We’ve had big nights and we’ve had bad nights. They don’t define me. I’m still learning and I’m getting better. I’m getting bigger and stronger. I feel good, the weight has gone well and the training has gone well.”
Eggington is currently a 3-1 underdog on BetFred with Cheeseman odds-on at 1/4. The draw is 25-1. The fight will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US on Saturday.
Main image: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing.