British champion Scott Fitzgerald is looking to resurrect boxing career after troubled year

The reigning British super-welterweight champion ended last year with the reputation as one of the rising stars of the sport, certainly on these shores and arguably beyond.

Wins overs domestic rivals Anthony Fowler and Ted Cheeseman had put the Larches and Savick ABC ace in the coversation for potential mega fights both at home and in Europe.

However, the former Our Lady’s High School pupil has had a troubled 12 months and has not set foot inside a competitive ring since beating Cheeseman to claim the coveted Lonsdale belt.

In the early part of this year he received help from Sporting Chance – the clinic set up by former England and Arsenal captain Tony Adams – to help him overcome addictions to drink, drugs and gambling.

Following his spell in rehab, Fitzgerald was then charged with three counts of common assault and one count of witness intimidation relating to an incident earlier this year in Preston.

For a period of six weeks, during the summer, he was remanded in custody but last week was cleared of those charges at a hearing at Preston Magistrates Court, although he admitted a breach of the peace charge.

With that now behind him, the former Commonwealth Games champion – who is assigned to Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing promotions company – is hoping to resurrect his career in 2021.

There were several major plans laid for Fitzgerald this year with Hearn holding tentative discussions with Preston North End about holding a blockbuster re-match with arch-rival Fowler at Deepdale in May.

That potential fight never got off the ground due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Fitzgerald’s father Dave – who has trained him from a very young age – revealed he would have been in no fit state to prepare for that fight due to his addictions – and then subsequent court case.

As it is, the coronavirus pandemic has caused serious disruption to the sporting calendar, including boxing, and Fitzgerald has not been left behind after his spell of inactivity.

“In a sense Covid-19 has dragged the court case on, but in effect it has saved his career,” said Dave Fitzgerald, who revealed his son overcoming his addiction problems .

“When he was meant to fight Fowler potentially at Deepdale, he wouldn’t have been in any fit state to fight but that got cancelled because of Covid-19.

“We are actually in a good position now where the fight at North End could happen next summer. Whether that will be against Fowler I don’t know because there’s talk that Fowler is going to fight Sergio Garcia for the European title.”

It is likely that Fitzgerald will have to relinquish the British title he won when defeating Cheeseman in October 2019, but he is keen to get back in the ring for a warm-up fight in January or February.

“Hopefully, he will be fighting a 10-rounder at the end of January or the beginning of February,” Fitzgerald senior said.

“There are prize bid going in for his British title and if promoter Frank Warren wins the bids, which he is likely to, he will try to get a fight on before the end of December which will be too soon for Scott.

“He won’t be ready for that so he will have to vacate the title, but hopefully he can win it back.”