Fitz may headline at Guild

Preston boxing star Scott Fitzgerald may be the headline act of a show in his hometown later this year.
Scott Fitzgerald lands a body shot on Ben HeapScott Fitzgerald lands a body shot on Ben Heap
Scott Fitzgerald lands a body shot on Ben Heap

The reigning Commonwealth Games gold medal winner has held tentative discussions with his manager Steve Woods about fighting at the Guild Hall in September.

The iconic venue has staged a number of boxing shows over the years but light-middleweight Fitzgerald – who is trained by Karl Ince – has yet to feature there.

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Since turning professional last year, the 25-year-old has fought twice, with promoter Eddie Hearn keen to push him to the fore.

On his debut in February, the former Larches and Savick ABC ace defeated Ben Heap by technical knockout on the same bill as the blockbuster world bantamweight title fight between Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg at the Manchester Arena.

In April he stopped Robert Studzinski in Liverpool and later this month he is set for his third pro outing when he features on the undercard of Tony Bellew’s world cruiserweight title bout at Everton FC’s Goodison Park.

His dad Dave said: “We had a good chat with Steve Woods and there is a chance we might get a show on at the Guild Hall in September with Scott headlining it.

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“I don’t think Eddie Hearn will mind and it will be great for the people of Preston to see Scott fight at the Guild Hall.

“Everybody in Preston knows Scott.”

As a former National ABA winner as well as Commonwealth Games champion, Fitzgerald – who is currently training in Miami, USA – already has a fine pedigree in the sport.

However, he needs to build his experience in the pro ranks before he can think about competing for belts such as the British title.

“Scott needs to get about 10 fights under his belt before we can start thinking about a British title fight,” said Dave.

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“He needs to get that experience. He’s only had two four-round fights so far and got stoppages in both.

“He needs to know that he can go 10 to 12 rounds if need be and the only way he can do that is by getting experience.”

Having fought indoors during his amateur and early professional career, the prospect of fighting outdoors at Goodison Park – against an opponent yet to be confirmed – will be an entirely new experience for him.

However, his dad does not foresee any problems when he gets in the ring.

“He will be all right,” he said. “That’s the thing about Scott – nothing fazes him. He doesn’t get nervous.

“He has not fought outdoors before, but he trains outdoors.”