Nathaniel Collins won’t need any extra incentives ahead of the biggest fight of his career but one glance at his heavily pregnant partner should provide him with all the additional motivation he might require.
That two of the most significant events in the boxer’s life — the birth of his child and a world title final eliminator bout — should converge on the same weekend is quite the coincidence but they have helped to give the Bearsden featherweight focus like never before.
Already a dad to three-year-old Izzy, the imminent arrival of a second baby girl into the family brings ramifications, both in the short and long-term.
The most pressing issue is the prospect of wife Anna, Collins’ dependable rock and his biggest fan, giving birth in the run-up to tonight’s rematch with Cristobal Lorente from which the winner will move forward to a shot at the WBC world title now held by American Bruce Carrington.
Anna and Izzy both provided a typically vocal presence at Thursday’s pre-fight press conference in Glasgow — whooping and cheering whenever Collins’ name was read out — but neither will be ringside at the Hydro this evening, instead staying at home for a girls’ night with a difference as they tune into the contest being broadcast live on DAZN alongside Collins’ mum, Melanie.
‘Anna’s not going to the fight,’ confirmed Collins. ‘It’s the first one she’s missed actually since we’ve been together. It will be weird as she’s usually near the ring and I can always hear her voice! Plus, whenever I get out the ring, she’s usually the first person I see.
Collins was in confident mood at his weigh-in and revealed his wife could give birth imminently
‘But fair play to her. She’s so pregnant and has still been doing loads of running around for me, dealing with tickets and other things and just stressing ahead of the fight. I’m telling her to chill out so she doesn’t go early.
‘If she does end up having the baby before the fight we’ll just need to get on with it. It is what it is and we’ll deal with it.
‘Izzy will be at home, too. It will be her, my mum and Anna together. They’re going to have a girls’ night around the telly. That will be an experience for them, too, watching from home rather than there in the hall. I’m doing this for them and they know that.’
The imminent arrival of a second daughter, plus a desire to have further children down the line, has given Collins additional fuel for the fire ahead of this second meeting with the undefeated Lorente.
This will be the 19th bout of his professional career since making his debut in 2018 and, while he now has the backing of Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions empire, there is also an acknowledgement that it has been a commitment to the sport that is yet to provide him with a commensurate lifestyle.
A win over Lorente at the second attempt, however, could change his wealth status in an instant. Boxing is rarely straightforward when it comes to the business of making fights but, should the WBC keep to their word, then the prospect of a contest with the champion Carrington before the end of the year, possible at New York’s fabled Madison Square Garden, becomes a distinct reality. And Collins knows as much.
Collins faced Lorente at the Braehead Arena last October but had to settle for a draw
‘I’m buzzing to become a dad again,’ he adds. ‘I love my daughter so much and then when this baby comes I’ll love it just as much again. And I want to have more kids after this one. So, it’s so important for me to win this fight and be financially secure to allow that to happen.
‘Hopefully it means my wife doesn’t have to work in future and that my kids can go to nice schools and things like that. It could change our lives and that’s what it’s all about. You see the likes of Conor Benn and Tyson Fury making millions and millions. Maybe I’ve not got that commercial value yet but I want to be getting there.
‘Bruce Carrington at Madison Square Garden — that’s the dream. That could happen this year possibly. As long as they stick by their word that this is a final eliminator, then beat this guy and we’re going to America hopefully.’
Another milestone for Collins will arrive later this year when he turns 30 in August. He continues to make the featherweight limit with relative ease — he weighed in yesterday for this contest at 125.4lbs — but knows with age it will only get harder. Moving up through the weight categories seems the most obvious solution in the years ahead.
‘Time is definitely marching on,’ he acknowledges. ‘And I’m an almost 30-year-old man trying to get to nine stone. It’s unnatural! So, I do believe I’ll move up to super-featherweight at some point and then move up through the weights. I’ve got at least three or four years of boxing left in me I hope.’
What trajectory his career takes over those years will depend significantly on how tonight’s contest plays out. When the two fighters met at the Braehead Arena six months ago, Collins made two mistakes. The first was to take his opponent, at that time the European champion, too lightly.
Collins is determined to learn from the mistakes he made in the pair’s previous encounter
The second was to react to the encouraging roars of the home crowd. Collins looked home and dry after winning the first six rounds but then got drawn into a war he didn’t need to commit to.
When Lorente then proved more durable than Collins had anticipated and the knockout never came, the Scot had to struggle through the second half of the fight to earn the split draw. He insists he won’t make the same mistakes again.
‘I just need to be smarter,’ he concedes. ‘I let my heart rule my head the last time and this time I just need to stay focused.
‘There’s no point having world level skills if you don’t use them properly. I need to take the crowd out of it, box sensibly and do whatever it takes to win.’
