Fighter Ryan out to seize life-changing opportunity

Eight cruiserweights will engage in a one-night elimination tournament on Saturday May 14, at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse, with the Sky Sports cameras rolling live.

His pro debut only came on February 18, which duly made him eligible to enter BOXXER, where he wiped out Dave Preston in one round.

Cotterell had a solid amateur grounding at amateur level, though, and went to the top table twice in national competition, along with being selected for the Team England Elite Squad.

He claimed honours at the 2016 England Development Championships and the 2018 National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs event, during his teenage years.

The 22-year-old groundworker, who grew up in the village of Essington, left the amateur ranks after 21 bouts, with 17 wins registered.

All of that amateur run – and his solitary pro outing – came with coach Richie Carter, an ex-pro himself, in his corner, and they use Wolverhampton Boxing Club as a training base.

Cotterell was just 12 when he took up boxing and immediately came under Carter’s tutelage. The two have been working together ever since.

It took just 11 bouts for Cotterell to become a national amateur champion.

It’s that fearless approach to battle that should serve him well in the BOXXER Series, with just one pro fight at the 200lb cruiserweight limit under his belt.

Cotterell said: “I’ll get in with anyone and I’ve always been the same. They can give me the favourite first (in BOXXER), as I’ll have to face him somewhere along the way!

“It’s not about the other lads, I’ve never been one to look too much into opponents, and you can’t prepare for just one fight, because there could well be three.

“If I didn’t think I could win the tournament, I wouldn’t enter, so it’s about me and how I perform. I know I’m being thrown in at the deep end and I’m relishing it. I could fight 10 journeymen, be 10-0 as a pro and not be tested, or I can jump into BOXXER and show people what I’m all about. It’s worth taking the chance. If I can go all of the way, it will change my life. There’s a lot of money on offer and I want to become a full-time boxer, who is on television regularly.

“No disrespect to the opponent, on my debut, but I’ve had harder spars. That’s what I mean, I won’t learn if I’m not up against it and no-one, in this competition, will scare me.

“Not many people with one fight would fancy it, but I think there’s a gap in the cruiserweight division that I could fill. I’ve got the footwork, hand-speed and I know I can bang.

“This is a massive opportunity for me, that could leapfrog my career, and I’m going in there to do the business. Bring them all on!”