Gosport boxer Matt King claims maiden pro victory after ‘jumping in at the high end’

The Gosport welterweight overcame Bulgarian Petar Aleksandrov on points in an extended six-round battle on a show in Genzano di Roma.

For King, who made his professional debut with defeat to highly-rated Irishman Edward Donovan in March, the return to the sport he walked away from for more than eight years proved worthwhile.

The 25-year-old only took up boxing training again last year - but he is now bearing the fruits and has a professional victory to his name.

King said: 'I’m actually buzzing to get the career back on track.

‘It unfolded well. The first round I was just feeling him out and I couldn’t find my range, really.

‘As the fight progressed I started to use different tactics, started going forward with him a bit, it just unfolded from there.

‘We both jumped in at the high end and I done a six-rounder in my second fight which is quite unheard of, really. We stepped up because the Italians didn’t want any four rounders and we prepared ourselves for a six-rounder - it’s what we trained for.

‘He’s been around a bit, he’s been with some good names, he was very smart and knew how to get out of trouble when he was in trouble.

‘I’ve learnt so much of when you need to keep the pressure on.

‘We’ve just been so lucky to get out of the country, even though it was for a fight and making weight and stuff; at the end of the day it was great to be back and seeing people out and about.'

King's debut pro bout against Donovan in March was held in a near empty Copper Box Arena with fans not allowed to attend because of coronavirus restrictions.

But he was relieved to have his team-mates and some Italian support cheering him on for his maiden professional victory.

He said: 'It was great, to be honest. My first fight was under different circumstances, our team got split up for my first fight, so I literally had one trainer with me.

‘To have the whole team there and the whole backing of everyone, it was great.

‘Even though there’s only seven or eight of us, it’s still enough, the crowd started getting behind the fights.

‘Hopefully the next one is going to be on home soil because everyone is eager to have a little crowd over here.'