Brixton heavyweight AJ Carter is set to make his comeback this weekend in a bout against a Polish fighter who recently took on Scotland’s Gary Cornish. Carter’s bout against Kamil Sokolowski will be on the undercard of an IBO International Heavyweight title eliminator clash between Dominic Akinlade and Nathan Gorman.
The fight will be Carter’s first competitive return to the ring since November 2015 and will take place at the National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace this Saturday.
Carter, who trains at Miguel’s Boxing Gym in Loughborough Junction and is a nephew of Afewee Training Centre founder Steadman Scott, has been using his time off to build up his fitness.
The Brixton boxer, who also goes by the moniker ‘Bigdog’ says he feels in peak condition both mentally and physically. “My last fight was in November 2015. It’s been more than 15 months and it was actually quite tough for me to have all that time off”, says Carter.
“When I see people boxing, whether I’m at shows or watching them on TV and seeing the heavyweight division come on fire, the feeling is almost like when you are child indoors and you see other kids outside playing and want to join in. That’s how I felt.
“I’ve had ups and downs since my last fight mainly because I’ve not been able to do what I love doing. I’ve had to take a backseat, but at the same time, it’s taught me a lot of patience.
“The thing that has really helped me the most with my time out of the ring is that it’s given me the chance to build up the mental strength and I’ve gained a lot from this.
“I’ve had setbacks regarding my comeback. I was meant to fight in October last year and then February this year, but those opportunities never came about and I was angry at the time.
“Luckily my mindset changed and I thought to myself, I can either sit and dwell on this or see the positives in the situation and draw from it. The way I see it I’ve been allowed to train more and sharpen my skills.”
Richard Williams, a coach at Miguel’s and a former Commonwealth and IBO light middleweight champion, has been helping Carter prepare his return to the ring this Saturday.
“Talking with Richard (Williams) a lot has helped me and it’s helped me open up my mind”, says Carter. “When I get back in the ring on Saturday I’m going to go out there and enjoy myself.
“I’m extremely ready for the fight against Sokolowski both mentally and physically. I feel in peak condition as a boxer. The mental part is so important in terms of what I have to do in the ring.
“My one and only goal is to become a world champion, but I have milestones I need to reach along the way. I want to be Southern Area champion, English champion, British champion, European champion and Commonwealth champion. I want to everything I possibly can as a professional heavyweight.”
AJ Carter will take on Kamil Sokolowski at the National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace on Saturday 1 April. For more details visit www.doveboxpromotions.co.uk
