Career changing opportunity knocked while Matthew Tinker was working a night club door
Matthew Tinker[8(6)-0] is ready to go from working doors to kicking open doors this Saturday night.
The New York based prospect fights British light heavyweight champion Dan Azeez [15(10)] in Wembley Arena tomorrow knowing victory could significantly change his career trajectory.
Opportunity knocked whilst Tinker was doing some door work in Manhattan just to earn a few extra dollars.
With only 12 days notice some have questioned whether or not the former St Francis amateur should have turned down Boxxer’s offer.
However, when he explains exactly where he was, and what he had just finshed doing when the offer came in, it becomes clear the southpaw isn’t afraid of hard work nor is he one to turn down the chance to get some graft in.
Not to mention it’s a job he believes he is more than ready for.
“I help a friend out and work security at One & One Bar and Nightclub in Manhattan some weekends. I bike home after work in the early morning. I’d just biked back to Queens and this is around about the time I got the call for the fight,” he tells Irish-boxing.com.
“It’s an opportunity and I fancy the job. I think if you believe in yourself and an opportunity comes along you have to take it, he adds before discussing the short notice.
“I don’t think there were too many people willing to take the fight at 12 days’ notice but I believe I can do it.”
Azeez and Tinker have crossed paths before and fans won’t be surprised to hear the fight took place after the former National Elite finalist had just finished a shift on the building site.
It’s a fight the British champion recalls vividly as he took a ‘pasting’ but not one the 31-year-old Scarborough-born fighter remembers in detail.
In fact, Tinker believes he was more worried about his potentially rowdy following than the challenge of Azeez that night.
“To be honest I don’t really remember the fight. I do remember a few details surrounding the fight though. In the amateurs days alot of the time I would work in the days and leave a few hours early to go weight in for the fight.
“At the time I was working on a building site in west London. The fight was at Porchester Hall which is also in West London. I remember a lot of the people working on the site came to the fight.
“After work on a Friday, they all went to the pub and then to the fight. I was boxing for Dale Youth then and remember warming up with Mick Delaney and thinking I hope I fight soon because they were all already hammered and I was nervous that it might kick-off.”
FACE-OFF 👀
— MTK Global Boxing (@MTKGlobal) March 24, 2022
⭐ @Dan_Azeez 🆚 Matthew Tinker
📽️: @Boxxer
📍 @OVOArena, Wembley
📅 SATURDAY
📺 @SkySportsBoxing#AzeezTinker #DanAzeez #Boxingpic.twitter.com/AGZ33O2BBU
The fact Tinker got his hand raised may have kept his fans in check six years ago but they shouldn’t use that win as proof they will be celebrating again this Saturday, says Tinker. Not because he is not confident, rather he doesn’t think you can read into an amateur performance so far back.
Azeez seems to be using revenge as his motivation going into the fight and has said he is keen to show how much he has progressed. However, for Tinker what happened in the past has no influence on the job at hand.
“The fight was a long time ago I don’t think it will have any bearing on this fight,” he adds before admitting his ninth career foe has impressed since turning over.
“I think he’s adapted well to the pros, I’ve followed him a little bit.”
When asked for a prediction the big talk adverse light-heavy would only say, ‘tune in and find out’ before declaring “a win will definitely help move my career on.”
