Jordan Gill (22-0, 6 KOs) was once a frustrated participant in boxing’s dreaded waiting game. Boasting a formidable reputation within the most decorated U.K. gyms due to numerous dominant sparring sessions, Gill was unable to transfer that worthless currency into anything resembling a meaningful contest as his career threatened to be another damning chapter in boxing’s long story of wasted talents.

This weekend, Gill will complete a remarkable turnaround as he headlines a television show for the first time as he takes on Mexican import, Emmanuel Dominguez, for the vacant WBA International belt. Being screened by Sky Sports in Britain, and with DAZN carrying the American broadcast, Gill is on the verge of showcasing his vast repertoire to a far more substantial audience than what he’s been accustomed to. It’s a position he always knew he’d fill despite it appearing highly unlikely at various stages.

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“Boxing was something I had to stick with,” buzzes Gill, an excitement in his tone only days away from the biggest fight of his career. “It can be hard for a fighter when he has no TV deal or he’s not working with one of the biggest promoters, but I always knew there was the chance that I might get to show somebody one day what I’m capable of and if I was to get that opportunity then I wouldn’t let anyone down. That happened to me last year when I beat Jason Cunningham and since then it’s just been unbelievable.”

Since aligning himself with Dave Coldwell, from both a training and management angle, in 2017, Gill’s career has received a shot in the arm that it was crying out for. The recipient of some fistic education at Dominic Ingle’s Sheffield base, Gill relocated to nearby Rotherham to work with Coldwell and it’s been a relationship that has blossomed since day one. With Gill now holder of the Commonwealth title and also closing in on a lofty ranking with the WBA, the man from Chatteris has justified is switch and is quick to pay a small tribute to the man who has rejuvenated his stalled existence.

“Me and Dave have pretty much had things going great since we first met. I’d heard many good things about him before linking up with him and you only have to look at what we’ve achieved in such a short time to see that it’s a partnership that works. I was fighting six rounders and looking at guys fighting on Sky and knowing full well I could beat them and not having that opportunity used to cause so much frustration. Dave has guided me into a position where I’m now the guy fighting on Sky and now I’m here, I promise that you’re going to see so much more from me over the next few years. This is really just the start for me.”

Despite being handed a golden chance by the man now guiding his career, Gill still had to go out and make good on the prophecies explained by both himself and Coldwell when analyzing his potential. Quick to deliver the highest of appraisals whenever the media demanded information on Gill’s promise, Coldwell was prepared to go all in on his 24-year-old charge, and the boxer has gone on to prove his mentor correct with impressive displays over Cunningham and Ryan Doyle. The latter, a fight which earned wide acclaim from the boxing industry, is a performance that Gill believes made everyone stop and take notice.

“Nobody at all expected me to do a number on Doyle the way I did that night. That was a 50-50 fight on paper and because he’d done such a good job on Reece Bellotti, a lot of people were expecting him to do similar to me and I put a stop to that right from the first bell. Anyone who is going to come at me the way Doyle did will make me look a million times better because I’m so good at picking my shots and forcing mistakes from my opponents. Ask anyone who spars with me, I’m used to sparring at such a high level that when I get in with opponents at British level, I honestly feel I’m too good for them all. I want to be knocking on the door of a world title fight in the next year to 18 months and I think Saturday’s fight can put me in a good position for that.”

On the subject of Dominguez, his imminent foe, Gill added, “He looks a solid opponent and he’s been in with a few good guys so when I’m victorious over him, it’ll tell me a lot about where I am in my career. I’m fighting on Sky once again and I’m in with a good opponent so this is another chance for people to see how good I am. I’m enjoying boxing so much at the moment and the last year has been quite an experience for me. I’m learning in the gym every single day, I’m taking part in good fights, and my fights are also being shown live on Sky which means that people want to watch me. Everything seems to be in place for me to push on now and that’s what I want to do.”