Steven Ward primed to take short-notice opportunity tonight

Steven Ward [10(3)-0] has stayed ready and looks to build his record further tonight.

The Newtownabbey light heavyweight, the BUI Celtic champion, boxes at the York Hall in London in a short-notice six-round contest versus Bulgarian journeyman Abdula Arabie [2(2)-5(1)].

The odd timing of the fight – less than a month after his last outing and three weeks before another #MTKFightNight bill in Belfast – would suggest that something big is in the pipeline for Ward, possibly a title shot in the summer.

‘The Quiet Man’ has been keeping sharp and described how “since the last fight, I’ve probably learned to keep prepared and I’m not lazy after fights. You never know what’s around the corner so it’s good to stay ready to a degree.”

The 29-year-old Commonwealth Games silver medallist has title ambitions in the pros and looks primed for a kick on.

A physical specimen, Ward hints that he could be seen in big fights across the weight divisions and believes he will make the tricky 25-pound jump to cruiserweight.

The Ulsterman outlines how “I feel like the better I do the weight, the stronger I’ll become and I showed that a bit in my last fight. It builds over time but power isn’t something I really focus on. I like to go in and see how it all unfolds and take the opportunities that come up.”

“I’m big at light heavyweight,” he continues. “I wouldn’t say I make it easy but I do it right! I’m very disciplined with my diet. I educate myself and I try and make it as easy as possible with my team.”

“Down the line, maybe I’ll head to cruiser. I’m a big lad and I’m 29 now. That’s not old but making the weight gets harder as I get older so I’ll probably move up to cruiserweight at some stage.”

Ward’s fight this evening will be streamed live below: