Boxing clever Josh set to hit pro circuit

Having all but conquered the amateur boxing scene, Josh Burnham is now looking to get his gloves dirty on the professional circuit.

The 22-year-old has fought the length and breadth of the country and having now decided to turn pro, has set his sights on landing a British title.

Competing in his first bout shortly after his barmitzvah, his dad introduced him to the sport as a 12-year-old, and from them on it’s been a case of mostly beating what’s been put in front of him. As he explains “My dad was always into boxing, and did a bit when he was younger. Once I found out there was a club nearby I went down to check it out and had my first fight a year later.

“I’ve fought somewhere between 40-45 amateur fights, losing 12 of them. I won a national title as a junior and have always reached semi-finals and finals of championships. I’ve beaten a lot of talented boxers and national champions along the way, while as a senior I’ve boxed and beaten a lot of decent lads.”

Citing Marcos Maidana and Bernard Hopkins as his main role models, he says: “Maidana’s a fighter who despite always being an underdog, will get in the ring with anyone and Hopkins isn’t scared of anyone.”

Aiming for the top, though knowing it won’t come easy, he says: “I’m extremely confident that I can make a name for myself as a pro, and one day go on to win something big. It’s every fighter’s dream to win a world title. My initial goal is to win a British title and defend it enough times to win it outright, and from there who knows!”

His evolvement as a boxer has coincided with a change in his religious observance. He says. “My faith has changed slightly as I’ve got older, on a more personal level, I think I’ve become more religious as an adult than I was growing up.”

Working as a personal trainer, he’s now looking to find a promoter and go as far as he can. “My immediate plans are to find the right promoter and not to rush into anything,” he says. “Having said that I’d like to get the ball rolling as soon as possible and not waste any time in getting in the ring”