When Kid Galahad challenged for the IBF featherweight crown he was on the wrong end of a split decision many thought should have gone his way.
That loss to Josh Warrington two years ago and the pandemic that followed stole his momentum.
Before that he served an 18-month drug ban for a substance he sourced to a spiked drink.
Having subsequently won the title that Warrington vacated, in his adopted home town of Sheffield he gets the chance to put all that behind him with a first defence against the venerable Kiko Martinez.
The Spanish veteran, still in great shape at 35, is perfect for Galahad. Like all the fighters who came through the city’s Wincobank gym, Galahad loves opponents who come on to him.
Galahad was one of the last to emerge in the time of Brendan Ingle and has that old Ingle style, switching from orthodox to southpaw.
He is huge for the weight, so this has come at the perfect time before a move up to super-featherweight.
The IBF is the only sanctioning body that imposes a limit to the weight you can replace by the morning after the weigh-in.
That ten-pound limit is a stretch for someone who walks around two stones above the 126 pound featherweight mark.
Despite that he still beats Kiko. It seems Martinez has been around forever. I remember him knocking out Bernard Dunne for the European super bantamweight in Dublin way back in 2007.
When we fought Carl Frampton for the same title six years later we knew what to expect.
Frampton was ready for him with a check left hook when he started to tire and ended it in the ninth.
At 31 Galahad is at his peak. This is his chance to look good and create some noise, to get people talking about him.
That controversial loss to Warrington and the pandemic have held him back. In those two years he could have been fighting and making a name for himself.
I take him to win in the championship rounds or by decision.
Chris Billam-Smith makes the first defence of the European cruiserweight crown on the undercard.
It will be another tough night against durable Frenchman Dylan Bregeon. The ‘Gentleman’ will have to work hard to get him out early.
The plan is to keep impressing in more defences before lining up a world title shot.
As ever winning in style is the key to that.
Follow Barry on Twitter at @ClonesCyclone, @McGuigans_Gym and @CyclonePromo
