Jeff Thomas looking to put Prizefighter disappointment behind him

After his September Prizefighter experience, Jeff Thomas is ready for his ring return tonight in Colne, Lancashire.

Jeff has had an up and down career since he turned pro in 2001 but now feels he is much better equipped to build a successful career out of boxing.

He secured his entry into the eight-man tournament with a campaign that created a sea of publicity using the national press, boxing forums (Jeff is an avid BoxRec poster) and social media sites. Jeff had so many backers that Eddie Hearn just couldn’t say no and gave him the final place in the tournament.

Jeff fell at the first hurdle against Kris Agyei-Dua (pictured, Thomas getting through against Agyei-Dua) in a way that must have been tough to swallow. After three completed rounds the judges all scored the fight a draw so Agyei-Dua progressed thanks to referee Terry O’Connor’s 29-28 scorecard.

“The manner in which I was eliminated could have been worse; I could have been knocked out for a start. I kind of knew when I entered that it was going to be a difficult tournament to win because of the quality of the fighters involved. As soon as I caught Kris in the first round (Thomas knocked him down) I thought to myself that it’s just a matter of time until I catch him again but as it was just a three rounder the fight was over before I knew it. I feel I escaped from the tournament with my credibility intact after putting on a good show."

“The whole build up was such a great experience especially filming all the pre-fight interviews and publicity in front of the Sky cameras. I’m so glad I had a chance to take part.”　

Looking back at Jeff’s record you can see a patch of inactivity, five years to be exact. Jeff and his boxing career were heading in different directions, the fire wasn’t burning and Jeff felt he had other goals to achieve in his life which boxing was holding him back from fulfilling. These years away from the sport were not wasted as Jeff went back to college and obtained A levels, did a stint in the armed forces, worked as a bodyguard, ran a security firm and started to study at university too.  

"I kind of fell out of love with boxing, I had given it my heart and soul at the first attempt then I lost an Irish title fight and after that as far as I was concerned I was completely finished.

"I was a highly rated amateur so I was under quite a lot of pressure to turn pro when I was still very young so due to that I didn’t try hard enough at school because I thought I could rely on my boxing for a living. After the Irish title fight I thought it was time to do the things that I missed when I was younger because of the boxing.”

Even though Jeff had quit the sport he always had the thought in the back of his mind that he could achieve more the second time round than he did in his first crack at professional boxing. Jeff now works as a personal trainer which fits in perfectly alongside his renewed love for the sport.

“It’s my mind just as much as my body that has changed this time round so I really think I’m going to surprise people on how far I get this time round.

“The boxing thing was always hanging over me and I had to have another go at it. This time round I feel immensely strong which I didn’t before. I think this will make the difference when I am fighting regularly next year. Every one performs better in their chosen profession with a smile their face and now i'm training with a smile on my face which I didn’t have before. I’m loving every second of it.” 　

Having a good set up behind the scenes in crucial and Jeff trusts the people guiding his career. He is being managed by Steve Wood and his gym work and sparring is better than ever.

“I train in Gisburn with Kevin Maree who used to train Michael Gomez. At the moment he is training me along with Kenny Anderson. I train with Kevin two or three times a week and also train out of my old amateur club Kingscote ABC in Blackpool. I also train at an MMA gym called Anarchy which I feel gives me an edge with fighting up close and on the inside.

“I have to spar with Kenny Anderson who is an absolute monster. It’s brilliant sparring with Kenny, he is such a good fighter who is totally underrated. I terms of my own confidence sparring with Kenny and catching him with good shots now and then has given me a huge boost. It's top notch sparring and I can learn so much from a fighter like Kenny.”

Jeff made it clear before his comeback that he wanted to fight someone with a bit of ambition that would test him. He’s not content being eased back in with a gimme. So his team selected Monsoor Wali (3-2) who has two wins by way of knockout from his three victories to date.

“It’s a good fight, I’m not going in with a journeyman, he is certainly coming to fight and win. I’m 30 years old now and need to be involved in competitive fights. If I get a decent win here I have my got my eye on my next opponent, I can’t tell you who it is but he has a recorded 14 or 15 wins to date. The type of boxer I am, I’m always in really exciting fights.

"I know I’m not a superstar but I’m in this sport to try and better myself and have a really good go at it. I always give it 100% in my fights and hopefully people will want to watch me again because of this.“