West Midlands boxer Macauley Owen starts out on pro journey

The Telford fighter, who trains at Box Smart Elite boxing club in Walsall, has done it all as an amateur, having won the CYPs, two British university championships and twice lifting the Haringey Box Cup.

Now aged 24, Owen was aiming for Olympic glory before the pandemic hit and now believes the time is right to turn professional after signing a deal with Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions.

"I was just finishing uni and we were getting towards the top end of the amateur game," Owen said.

"We were aiming for Team GB originally to try and go through that path, but because of Covid it pushed me towards going professional. I've turned 24 now and I felt it was the right time.

"The professional career is a journey in itself and during Covid I was preparing to turn professional. I'm on the best condition of my life and I'm ready.

"As an amateur I've gained so much experience, faced different styles of boxers and I've fought internationally.

"I've had my downfalls, made mistakes and taken a loss here and there, but I've learned from it.

"The amateur game is all about learning, it's the apprenticeship the professional game. You can make mistakes.

"I've made them now and I'm definitely ready to turn professional."

Owen's willingness to slug out fights early on in his amateur career led to a handful of losses.

But his time at Coventry University, where he earned a masters degree in sports nutrition, helped him to become a smarter fighter.

"I've started using my brain a bit more now – that's been a key lesson I've learned during my 75 fights," Owen added.

"I'm boxing better now, rather than trying to fight everyone in front of me. When you're trading one for one with someone, it can be whoever the judge thinks landed the better punch.

"But if you're making people miss and making them pay with the counter, it's a different level of boxing. That's what separates you at the highest level."

Owen will compete at super-featherweight when he makes his debut on Saturday, as part of Warren's card held in Birmingham.

He is yet to find out his opponent, with one fighter pulling out at late notice, but to have been signed up with Warren and fighting on a televised event, Owen is grateful for the opportunity.

"It's a massive achievement and I'm over the moon to be in the position I'm in," he said.

"I count myself very lucky to be in this position. A lot of hard work has come with it, but the stars definitely feel like they have aligned. It's the right time.

"After going through four years at university, I was never going to turn professional at that time as I was under the scholarship scheme. Juggling uni and boxing was hard enough in the amateurs, never mind being a professional.

"Frank has so many shows and quite a large number of fighters from the Midlands, so it puts me in a great position to get fights and be on the big shows with TV coverage.

"There are some slight nerves because of the stage it is, but I've had nerves throughout the amateur game whenever I was in a big fight.

"The nerves brought me on then and that's why I'm excited to get going for my debut. They'll be channelled in the right way as I've had plenty of practice being nervous now. I'm looking forward to it."

Despite only taking his first steps into the professional game, the 24-year-old is already holding aspirations of fighting for a world title in the years to come.

"I wouldn't have turned professional if I didn't think I was capable of going all the way," he added.

"Whether I'm in a position right now to be world champion is a different story, it's a journey in itself being a professional, but I'll keep pushing.

"I have the drive to better myself. I'm chasing titles but I also want to better myself as a person and an athlete. That keeps pushing me on, to become the best boxer I can."