Kid Galahad plans to follow the Naseem Hamed, Johnny Nelson, Junior Witter and Kell Brook pathway to a world title

The Sheffield fighter faces the toughest fight of his career when he challenges reigning IBF featherweight title holder Josh Warrington in his home city of Leeds.

A major underdog, Galahad aims to silence the doubters and believes the guidance and tutelage provided by his mentor, the late Brendan Ingle, over most of his career will provide dividends on the night.

“It’s been 14 years in the making, getting to this point, it’s been a long tough road with many ups and downs” Galahad said.

“Every world champion this gym has produced have been underdogs in their attempts to gain a world championship belt.

"Naseem Hamed against Robinson, Johnny Nelson v Thompson. There was Junior Witter. And Kell Brook had to go to the USA to take on highly-touted and fancied Shawn Porter.”

The one thing those prize-fighters had in common, with the exception of Nelson, is that they all took the belt on the first time of asking.

Galahad believes it’s his destiny to take the IBF title held many years ago by his childhood idol, Hamed.

“I remember Naz reigning supreme and one fight that stuck in my mind was when he fought Paul Ingle, the guy was a machine he just kept coming and I thought Naz was going to get beat.

"Out of nowhere he pulled out a body shot that sunk Ingle to his knees, Naz was a very clever fighter.”

Boxing has been Galahad’s life since he walked into the Wincobank gym for the first time – a visit which came about after a chance meeting in a Sheffield mosque with Hamed.

“If you want to be a champion like me, find Brendan Ingle; he’s the man who will guide you through' Hamed told Galahad.

Recently, Galahad bumped into talented one-armed golfer Mark Marshall and got talking about boxing.

“I joked, saying: 'No chance of being a boxer then' I said. He laughed and told me about him golfing - I thought he was joking, how was that possible?”

"Golf was a sport he loved to watch and took it up six months after the accident and has never looked back since."

Mark who is a member of Concord Golf Club (Shiregreen Lane) just up the road from the Ingle gym teed off in a special championship at Portpatrick Golf club in Scotland this week.

For a man who has represented England and can drive a ball 280 yards he has a very good chance of placing in the top three.

“I told Mark when he wins the title and I win mine I’ll challenge him to a round of crazy golf, I’m unbeatable at the that” laughed Galahad.