Shak attack: Thompson aims to bring belts back to Sheffield

The 26-year-old middleweight locks horns with Bulgarian powerhouse Vladimir Georgiev at the Magna Centre, Rotherham, on Saturday, April 20.

The winner will get his hands on the IBF European and WBO Global belts and the Handsworth fighter will be going all out to ensure they will go home with him.

"Those belts mean a lot to me as they will be my first pro titles and will boost me up the rankings - I can't wait to get them" he says.

"But it won't stop there. I have one ambition and that is to become a world champion."

Thompson's Won 11 Lost 0 record suggests he is on the right track, as long as he avoids injury, something which slowed him down during 2023.

"I am completely over that now, I am back and ready to put a dent in the division."

At 6ft 3ins tall, you'd expect the Manor Boxing Academy man might find it difficult to make the 160 lb limit.

But it's quite the reverse, he says.

"I make it very easily I am never out of the gym, even after a fight I'm straight back on Monday learning and working.

"It has never been the case where I blow up in weight and struggle to get it off.

"I have trained really hard for this fight.

"I expect this to be my toughest yet; he needs to be tough because of how I have been training. Hopefuly it will be good fight."

Because of his conditioning, the Roger Sampson-trained athlete expects to fly through the ten rounds, should the contest go the distance.

Father-of-two Thompson's day-to-day routine is gruelling one.

"I train twice a day. I am up at 5am for a run and sprint.

"I am at work (he is a sales admin staff or Sheffield company Gripple Ltd) for eight hours then go straight to the gym for two or three hours and then back home. Every day is chock-a-block!"

Shakiel's last outing was on another GBM Sports bill at the Park Community Arena.

He ended the scheduled eight-rounder against Dutchman Gino Kanters in three.

Kanters was down once in each round.

The April 20 show undercards features two other unbeaten Sheffield boxers Red Johnson and Naphtali Nembhard.

Meanwhile, Friday sees a vacant Central Area welterweight title challenge at Magna on a Stefy Bull show.

Joe Garside, from Halifax, takes on Will Harrison from York.

The card includes Steel City gym-mates Bree Wright and Ebonie Jones and Conner Kelsall, from Doncaster.

Light heavyweight Chad Sugden, from Newark, will be chasing his 13th professional win.