Patience is an imperative quality for every boxer to possess, and it’s just as well Reese Lynch has it in abundance.
The wait the 24-year-old has been forced to endure before making his professional debut has seemed, at times, interminable.
But finally, over a year after his last competitive outing, a date has been set for Lynch’s first foray into the professional ranks.
He has secured a spot on the undercard of Josh Taylor’s bout with Ekow Essuman on the 24th of next month, which is shaping-up to be the most exciting night of boxing that Scotland has seen in quite some time.
Lynch isn’t one to let his fitness slide, irrespective of whether or not there’s a fight on the horizon, but the recent confirmation of his professional debut has, he admits, given him an extra boost every time he now sets foot in the gym.
“It's been a long while since I last fought and it’s felt like such a wait,” the 24-year-old says.
“It took ages to get my contract sorted with promoters - I’ve been speaking to Frank Warren since last summer but they’ve got a lot on their plate so it dragged on. But finally, we got it across the line, which is great.
“I was still training away, mainly because I'm just so used to being in the gym but it was hard to stay motivated at times.
“So it definitely feels good to have a fight in the diary. It’s not long now and I’m already feeling in good shape even a few weeks out from this fight.”
Lynch’s move into the professional ranks has been much-anticipated.
As an amateur, the super-lightweight became one of this country’s most successful fighters, winning Commonwealth Games gold and World Boxing Championships bronze.
But despite his amateur success, Lynch is well aware there may be a few doubters as to how his style will translate into the professional game.
Lynch himself, though, has no such concerns.
“I've been working hard in the gym on trying to really hurt people but on my debut, I do have to make sure I don't get too hyped-up. If you go out there only looking for the stoppage, you rarely get it. You need to stay calm and composed, find that shot and then land it. You can't rush it.
“So I’m really looking forward to next month but I'll be trying to stay calm and think about the process.”
While 13 months without competitive action is far from ideal for any elite athlete, Lynch is also quick to acknowledge the benefits he’s been able to glean from such a sustained time away from competition, particularly with his sport taking such an overt physical toll on one’s body.
In the past year, Lynch has given his approach something of an overhaul which will, he hopes, be apparent when he steps into the ring next month.
“This spell away from competitive fights has actually been a good thing because it gave me time to do things I might not otherwise have had the chance to,” he says.
“I spoke to my nutritionist and started a programme to bulk-up and get a bit more muscly at 63.5kgs - the time off let me bulk into a weight which I’ve never been able to do before because, having been fighting so regularly, I was always in a calorie deficit.
“Actually, bulking-up isn't as easy as you think because you've got to be eating good food - you can't just be smashing burgers all the time. But I did a five week bulk and I feel like I'm in really good shape - I've got stronger so hopefully by the time I've made weight next month, I’ll look stronger too.”
While Lynch’s immediate focus is the 24th of May, he’s already let his thoughts drift to the path he’d like his professional journey to follow.
Having had such a prolonged period on the sidelines, it’s unsurprising that he’d like to be in action several more times this year before then setting his sights on the very top.
"My contract is five fights a year so I'm sure Queensberry will be looking to get me out again pretty quickly,” he says.
“I’ll likely have a year or two in the pro ranks to find my feet and then, after that, start challenging for titles.
“The dream hasn’t changed - it’s to be challenging for world titles and following in the footsteps of guys like Josh Taylor.
“Obviously he was undisputed world champ but even winning just one world title is a huge achievement so that's definitely what I'm aiming for.”
