Back in the ring just 14 days after adding a third victory to his unbeaten professional record, Nottinghamshire boxer Regis ‘The First’ Sugden made it four out of four at Mansfield Civic Centre on Saturday 26 October.

The Suggy’s Gym 24-year old, who made the switch to pro boxing in May 2019, not only stepped up at short notice to help local promoter Matt Scriven but also moved up a class to take on William ‘Warby’ Warburton, whose own record includes 25 wins, 6 by KO, and who has only ever been stopped three times.

“With Warby defeating the number 8 ranked British Super Welterweight Jason Welborn and other unbeaten prospects, on paper this had all the makings of a tricky fight for us,” said Suggy’s Gym head coach Dean Sugden. “But Regis proved once more that, unlike most others in his profession, he’s always searching for opponents who will test him.

“Rather than pick up guaranteed wins and stoppages against zero-win opponents, he only wants real fights and is determined to keep his contests interesting. His elder brother Chad has already created a considerable amount of interest and excitement about how far he can go but now Regis has emerged as a serious contender too.”

From the outset, Regis went about his work with a level of confidence, skill and strength beyond that shown in his three previous contests. When William came out in the second round to try and upset his rhythm, the Newark boxer turned up the heat, using his defensive skills to put his opponent under pressure with some big body shots and leaving the Lancashire man with no alternative but to open up and try to stop the onslaught.

After landing some big head shots that left the more experienced Warby reeling, Regis continued to pile on the pressure through the third and fourth rounds, making things look relatively straightforward. But well aware of just how dangerous an opponent he was facing, he kept his patience even as he kept up the pressure, ensuring there was only going to be one winner at the end of every exchange and ultimately of the fight.

Once again, the army of fans and followers who travelled to Mansfield to support its local hero was rewarded with the sight of Regis’s hand being raised as referee Kev Parker scored the contest 40-36, with all four rounds in the Newarker’s favour.

“I was delighted that Regis stepped up at such short notice to help the show,” said Matt Scriven. “When I offered them William Warburton, they agreed to the fight without any hesitation which says a lot about Regis himself and about the whole team’s confidence in his ability.

“Regis boxed brilliantly tonight – to have such a quality prospect on the show was great and I’m really looking forward to working with them again in the future.”

“Chad and Regis are both considering their next fight options at the moment,” added Dean. “A massive homecoming was on the cards for them on Saturday 14 December but Chad has now received a couple of big fight offers. We’re currently considering these and will be making a final decision over the next few days, with a view to making an announcement very soon.

“These are exciting times not only for Suggy’s Gym but for Newark Amateur Boxing Club too. Its young members are enjoying a great deal of success – they all look up to Chad and Regis and know that if they work hard they can follow in their footsteps and become professional boxers themselves.”