ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact

After close to a year of intensive training, a local boxing coach feels one of his star students is ready for the big time.

Lloyd Cressford, according to his coach Darcy Potter, is finally prepared to go on his first Carnival Cruise – where he’s expected to fight close to two dozen people.

The 24-year-old fighter says he’s excited to reset a smorgasbord of brains across the South Pacific this April but admits there still a lot of work to do before he’s ready.

“I’m not sure how I’ll go having a chair broken over my back but I know I’d be able to knock out any security guard they throw at me,” he said.

“Plus, I can kick the head off a bloke without jumping. Last winter I kicked a bloke so hard in the head, the stitching on the side of my ugg boot was bruised into his face,”

“I’m glad Darcy is backing me to go on a Carnival Cruise. It’s basically like spending a month at war for a humble boilermaker like me. It will be a challenge but not one I’ll fail.”

A spokesman from Carnival Cruise lines say they’re excited to welcome Mr Cressford aboard – but have stopped short of saying he should fight anybody while travelling with them.

Though the company said it’s inevitable that their customers will be involved in a melee at some point during their cruise, they’ve asked that they simply walk away from it.

“Some guests who don’t want to take part in the fighting can bet on the fighters like they would at a cockfight,” said the Carnival official.

“But we ask that professional fighters, such as Mr Cressford, make themselves know to the opponents so they know what they’re getting themselves in for,”

“Carnival Cruise Lines have a long and proud history of being the premier fighting cruise line in the world. We look forward to hosting many more deadly combat events in the future.”

More to come.