BOXING: Conrad Cummings to seize opportunity in London
Conrad Cummings has a huge opportunity on Friday night to make a statement on how far he can go in the middleweight division.
Cummings - who is trained in London by Shane McGuigan - will take on the biggest challenge of his professional career as he fights Ronny Mittag for the vacant IBF Inter-Continental title.
And Cummings will know that a win at Wembley Arena will put him into the top 15 of the IBF rankings, just as it did with his stablemate Carl Frampton after he won the super-bantamweight title against Raul Hirales in 2012.
And Cummings knows that he has to deliver on the biggest night of his professional career to date.
“This is a huge chance for me to show what I am about and when I win this fight my ranking with the IBF will go way up. I know that I have to remain calm and controlled and do what I have to do I am an excitable person, so I have to stay relaxed and focused throughout the fight.
“Shane McGuigan has been doing the pads with me for up to an hour, so I have been keeping my concentration for long periods of time.
“This could be a springboard to bigger and better fights - so I have to deliver,” he added.
And Cummings admits he has only been able to see Mittag in action a couple of times in the build-up to the fight.
“I saw footage of him on the internet but it was from six years ago.
“He is more experienced than me and he is a good fighter - but I believe I have the tools to deal with him.
“Preparation and training has gone very well and I am just looking forward to getting started.
“I am the fittest and strongest I have ever been and I want that title,” he added.
Cummings will fight on the undercard of George Groves WBA International Super-middleweight title clash against Eduard Gutknecht.
And Belfast’s Paddy Gallagher is also on the bill as he faces Tamuka Mucha.