Joel McIntyre aiming to ‘upset the party and bring the title back to Pompey’

The Leigh Park boxer first won it at the uncelebrated boxing venue of Liquid nightclub, Portsmouth, in December 2016, beating Miles Shinkwin.

Now, six years later, he is in Newark, Nottinghamshire, tomorrow night to take on the home-town star, former world kickboxing champion Chad Sugden, over 10 rounds.

McIntyre – at 34, six years older than Sugden - has only been in the ring for less than a minute since reversing his December 2018 decision to retire from the sport after losing to Shinkwin in what was his third English light-heavyweight title bout.

His sole appearance was a first round KO of Israeli Nikita Basin at South Parade Pier, Southsea, last October.

Asked about his lack of competitive ring time, McIntyre said: ‘It doesn’t matter. I’ve had plenty of rounds in the past and sparring in the training camp.

‘This (an English title fight) was the goal when I came back, this was the plan.

‘My management is second to none, unreal - they promised me I would get it (a title shot) and I’ve got it.

‘I’m going up there to upset the party and bring the title back to Pompey.’

McIntyre - who boasts a 19-4 pro record - admits he fell out of love with boxing for a while after winning the title at Liquid nightclub.

‘That was the thing, it went quiet and cold after that,’ he recalled. ‘I had some rubbish advice.

‘I ended up having to take a mandatory defence against someone (Liam Conroy) that wasn’t on my radar. My heart wasn’t in it at the time.’

McIntyre said he felt the same way when he faced Shinkwin again in December 2018 at the York Hall, Bethnal Green.

Now his enthusiasm is back, however, and he is only looking ahead. If he beats Sugden - who has won 12, lost two and drawn one of his 15 pro bouts - he would be hoping to get back in the ring ‘as quickly as possible - within three months, maybe two’ - for a British title eliminator.

Beyond that, McIntyre covets Commonwealth and European belts.