JOSH PADLEY had his world switched upside down when he received a shock call to light up Anthony Joshua’s undercard in September.
However, now the 29-year-old is vying to become a world champion in Saudi Arabia after being drafted in for a world title fight with just four days’ notice.
The Doncaster electrician had to do the small-hall circuits at the start of his career, at places like his local Holiday Inn and, more recently, the Bradford Hotel.
But on Saturday he fights against Shakur Stevenson on the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol undisputed light-heavyweight card.
He previously beat Mark Chamberlain in a huge upset on the AJ versus Daniel Dubois show at Wembley Stadium, which was beamed around the world, in front of 96,000 fans.
That fight has proven to be transformative as he is now set to challenge Stevenson for the WBC lightweight title belt.
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Unbeaten in 15 professional fights, Padley has been drafted in to replace Floyd Schofield after he was allegedly “poisoned” ahead of this weekend’s bout.
Padley spoke to SunSport back in September before his fight with Chamberlain.
The boxing ace told SunSport: “My alarm was set for a 6am start until I got a call to tell me I had to be in London the next day for 3pm for the launch press conference.
“The call came when I was driving from my paid job to go and work on my own house so I had a van full of rubbish ready to go to the local tip.
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“So I texted the lads I was supposed to be working with and told them, ‘I won’t be in tomorrow, you’ll have to crack on without me.’
“I didn’t tell my bosses, I got messages from them saying, ‘Where are you?’ and then one saying, ‘Are you on the AJ undercard?’
“I had to come clean and they replied, ‘Not great for the next few jobs we had lined up – but we’re absolutely over the moon for you.’
“They instantly started thinking of ways they could help and support me because they know the opportunity is massive.
“I am the biggest underdog on the whole card, everyone else is a superstar or a well-supported prospect. But I am going to bring the fire.”
Victory over the Portsmouth lightweight – who is the favourite fighter of Saudi boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh – has hurled Padley into the big time.
But a couple of weeks after his victory he was back at work.
Speaking to talkSPORT about his prospects, he said: “It all depends on what sort of fights come through as these offers.
“Obviously, if they’re the bigger fights, then I might be able to take the camp off again, with the help of my sponsors that helped me out with this camp so I can be full-time again for the next camp.
“But I will go back into work, and pick my tools back up for Monday after my holiday, because like I say, I don’t know what the offers are just yet, so I’ve gotta put things in place, just in case it isn’t right.”
He’s not trying to trash talk his opponent or grab the limelight, he just wants to swap his hi-vis for high-risk fights.
The underdog is not even too fussed about the money for the massive fight as he reckons his missus, Sylvana, will have already spent it in Ikea.
He said: “I am not here for the payday.
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“I want what comes after the win, the next challenge or title.
“And whatever money I make won’t matter because my girlfriend is doing the house up with me, so she will have spent every penny of my purse, no doubt.”
There’s a lot of talk about the cash involved in these new Riyadh Season shows that are taking place in the desert, in Los Angeles and now London.
But tales like Padley’s – about the brave working-class boys and girls who risk their lives for the sport they love – should remind us that increased fighter pay can only ever be a good thing.
He explained: “My usual week is up at 5:50am, travel with the lads to wherever the work is, last week we were about an hour away.
“I clock off and go home and at the minute I am renovating my house so I do another hour on that, go to the gym for 5pm for an hour, home, dinner, bed and repeat and repeat and repeat.
“Wembley will be a big stage, I have only boxed on small-hall shows.
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“The press conference room at Wembley Arena was bigger than most of the places I have boxed in, so it is some step up.
“But that’s what I want, I want to change my life, I don’t want to go back to building sites after September 21. So I am grabbing this with both hands.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
