QPR fans Spencer and Hughes chase ultimate dream of boxing at Loftus Road
Boxing at York Hall, Bethnal Green, represents the pinnacle for most up and coming fighters – but Bradley Spencer and Jack Hughes have another long-term aspiration.
The pair are eager to showcase their boxing skills at the famous east London venue on Saturday yet, as QPR supporters, they both dream of getting the chance to perform at Loftus Road one day.
Spencer, who will make his professional debut in a four-round super-middleweight contest, told West London Sport: “I’ve got a few QPR fans coming down and it’ll be good to have them supporting me.
“It was my grandad who first took me to a game when I was young and I was saying to him how good it’d be one day to step through the ropes at Loftus Road with 18,000 Rangers fans cheering me on.
“Hopefully we can get there and going forward we’ll be looking into getting the club logo on my kit.
“If that Loftus Road fight does ever come up, I’ll definitely be wearing the hoops on the night!
“I’m feeling so excited about Saturday. I can’t wait to get in there and do the business. I want to make a statement and show what I’m capable of with a classy boxing performance.”
The 22-year-old from Hounslow already has 63 bouts under his belt in white-collar boxing, winning a British title and reached the final of the Queensbury League.
He now trains with Barry O’Connell – former conditioning coach to world champion George Groves – at his State of Mind gym in Hammersmith.
While Spencer is a newcomer to professional boxing, stablemate Hughes, from Alperton, will be featuring in his fourth paid contest as part of the same Smith Sports bill on Saturday.
The 25-year-old super-flyweight, a former amateur with Ruislip ABC, losy on his professional debut, against Sergey Tasimov 15 months ago, but triumphed in a rematch with the Russian last summer.
“That was the most important thing to me, to avenge that loss,” said Hughes, whose record now stands at two wins and that single defeat.
“Muhammad Ali lost five times, Roy Jones Jr lost nine and they’re among the greatest of all time. All the great fighters always avenge a loss, so I wanted to get that one back.
“I’m hoping for another win to make it 3 and 1 and hopefully big things will come after that. And yes, I’d love to box at Loftus Road one day – that’s the dream!
“My first match there was when I was 11, against Stockport County, and we won 1-0. Kevin Gallen scored a penalty in the 89th minute.”
Tickets are still available to see the two Rangers fans in action this weekend. Click here for details.
