Ted Cheeseman was relieved to see his form turn in his win against Sam Egginton on Saturday.
The 24-year-old former British light-middleweight title holder needed a 116-113, 116-113, 115-114 points decision to end a run that had seen him go three fights without recording a victory.
In a match that went the distance, both boxers exchanged heavy blows right into the final rounds, but it was Cheeseman who took the result.
Speaking to Eddie Hearn on the Matchroom promoter’s Instagram account on Monday, Cheeseman acknowledged just how physically gruelling Saturday night had been.
“How it feels is if you had a car crash. Imagine having a massive car crash, but doing it over and over again. Your body and your neck, everything aches,” he explained.
Despite the physical toll of the fight, Cheeseman said that on the Sunday morning after the fight he, “had a nice massage, had a nice day with my family.”
That enjoyment came safe in the knowledge that he was now back to winning ways.
“I got the result I wanted and I’m back here where I need to be. It’s been a long time since I had a bit of luck. I felt it was a great fight on Saturday, and there’s no better way to get the win than that.
“I came back and said to Tony [Sims, Cheeseman’s trainer] that I thought I’d won it. He said just wait for the scorecards — I thought it could only be me who won.”
Hearn told Cheeseman that with the win, “You’ve gone into the world top 10, and completely turned your career around.”
The turnaround Hearn referenced was the comeback that the boxer had made after seeking help for a gambling addiction, something he told Sims about after losing his tilt for the European super-welterweight title held by Spaniard Sergio Garcia in 2019.
“If I was going to fight again, I’ll be twice the fighter I was on Saturday night even though I put a good performance in,” Cheeseman said.
He had believed that his career was hanging in the balance ahead of last Saturday’s showdown.
“I had a lot of pressure on my head, and all I was thinking was my future lies in my hands. If I perform tonight, my career goes on. If I lose, I’m done. I’ve got to start my career again in some other aspect, not boxing.
“Now that I’ve got that win, the confidence is back. I won’t have so much pressure on my shoulders.
“I’ll go in there fresh and happy, as a winner again.”