To be honest, I can't stand sitting about watching sport. I'm not into football, although in my family they all love it. Manchester United fans they are. I like fishing and outdoor things. I like racing greyhounds. About the only sport I'll watch is boxing.

I don't mind playing soccer and rugby and I've had a bit of a go at everything - snooker, pool, darts, tennis. I'm pretty good at most sports with good hand-eye co-ordination. I played football and was team captain at primary school, and at secondary school, Holy Cross in Chorley, I ran long distance, threw shot putt and ended up running cross country for Lancashire schools. As a boxer, I won the national schoolboys three times, the junior ABA nationals twice, the National Association of Boys' Clubs title once, and the Golden Gloves team event, for England against Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

I didn't know I was actually going to be any good. I got decent at it, stuck at it, and I've been doing it most of my life. I turned pro in 1999 and I've won all my 27 fights - 13 knockouts. It was a case of get a job or turn pro. I thought I'd give it a go and see what happened. I did electronics at college but I did that to fall back on. I've always been determined. I would avoid ice creams as a teenager while my mates were having them. I've been one-track about my boxing.

I'm ranked No 1 by the WBO, which is great, but at the minute I'm happy fighting at British and European level. When I go for a world title, I don't want a payday - I want to be a world champion.

The discipline, the dieting, the running -whether you want to or not. In my life, losing my brother Raymond to drugs five years ago. Raymond was a lovely bloke, friends with everyone. He was a heroin addict. I visit his grave in the cemetery before all my fights and he is a big part of my motivation.

Not a lot of people know I'm in a punk band called The Shoks. I play the drums. We've got a gig in Manchester on Nov 10. We're not mad like the Sex Pistols, it's more punk fusion. It's a lot of fun. I'm doing my ring walk at the Guild Hall in Preston against Bradley Pryce to one of our songs.

My last fight, knocking Jimmy Vincent out in the first round to win the British welterweight title. I caught him with an early shot, hurt him with the right hand and finished him off with a left hook. Apart from that, winning the schoolboys' ABA for the first time. I had come from nowhere, I had only five fights and I was picked for the Golden Gloves tournament [known now as the Home Nations Internationals] that year and I went on to win the junior ABA title.

Boxing in the youth ABA finals, I got beaten by Darren Oliver in the final. I boxed crap. The week before, in the semi-finals, I won my fight and got to see him fight - and thought "He's not that good." I lost because I didn't take him as seriously as I should have. It was a lesson well-learned. I couldn't have worked harder than I have for this title defence with Bradley Pryce. Everyone who gets to this level has to be taken very seriously.

In boxing, Muhammad Ali, Oscar de la Hoya, Sugar Ray Robinson. They all had attitude, timing and knew how to stay up there. When I watch the Olympics, I admire quite a few sportspeople who you don't often see, in a number of sports.

Up to now, Preston Guild Hall, where I'm defending the British welterweight. It's my home town, I've fought there twice before and it's been good for me. As far as where would I like to fight - I'd have to say America. I'd like to have a world title fight in Las Vegas.

To how much I earn, I say "Don't be cheeky", or "How much do you earn?" And I'm called the 'Chorley Lurcher' because I've got lurchers. As far as money goes, it is good enough for the time being and better than working in a factory. I'd like to stay in boxing when I stop, and become a trainer.

If I had the choice, it would be a battle of the bands. Muhammad Ali would be there, though, because of who he was, what he did, and how he did it. I'd have the band Nirvana, the Sex Pistols (so entertaining), Oasis (the early Oasis), and the Happy Mondays.

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