Jordan Reynolds insists he has “never been so focused” as he prepares to fight European, Welsh and Four Nations number one welterweight Aled Cook in the final of the NACYP Championships.
The Luton-based Stevenage ABC boxer beat Manchester’s Callum Holland 27-6 in the semi-final in Wakefield, Yorkshire, last weekend to reach his second final of in a fledgling career that has only seen him step into the ring 13 times.
After narrowly losing to Isaac McLeod - now world number two - in Junior ABA Final as a lightweight earlier this year, Reynolds is determined to go one better and claim a victory that would make him the number one at 66kg in the country.
“It’s already an achievement to be in the final,” he said, adding: “It’s only the beginning and I want to win everything in my path. This is my apprenticeship for going pro and I don’t want to lose in a final again. I don’t want to think about it.”
Reynolds is currently number two in the country at lightweight and welterweight and he admits his rise has been fast.
“Being number two is good when you look at the number of fights I’ve had – it’s gone quick,” he said.
Though he has designs on his first national title, the protege of former world lightweight champion Graham Earl knows he has to beat the best and that is what he intends to do against Cook at Harlow Stadium on Thursday.
He said: “This kid is arguably better than the last one [McLeod]. He’s taller, slicker, has had 40 or 50 fights and won gold medals so it’s going to be tough.
“But I’ve improved and moved up a weight. As a lightweight I was always stronger than my opponents but now I’ve moved up and no-one has pushed me back yet. I’ve learnt to box on the back foot but my natural game is still to come forward and work on the body. I’m going to rip him apart.”
The teenager defeated his semi-final opponent despite dropping three kilograms through sickness before the fight and he admitted: “I was puking before and during the fight my stomach was bubbling up.
“He came out all guns blazing in the first 15 seconds but I hit him with two body shots and he crumbled – I broke his heart.”
