Josh Warrington: Timing is everything when trying to make weight before fight night

When I get into camps, I am always that bit more cautious because I am that little bit older. I always try to maintain the weight from the off and be in control of my own body.

Over the years we have developed a plan that works down to a tee. When I first started getting into training camps and I had to get my weight down, it was frustrating. It is difficult when you have got to sacrifice that full feeling and sacrifice cakes and treats - because I have got a sweet tooth.

But as you get older you realise it is part of your job; to be the best you have got to sacrifice. You wouldn’t put hazardous or unleaded fuel in a Formula 1 car to make it run.

It is a massive part of how you perform. Because I train hard and eat well between the fights it has never really been a problem for me.

However, around the time of my seventh fight, we got a telephone call to fight in the north east. I had already got a fight scheduled in Hull for a few weeks later and this fight was only eight days away.

But it was going to be live on TV and it was a big opportunity.

My opponent Chris Riley’s fight fell through and it was his hometown and he had sold a lot of tickets so they still wanted him to be featured on the show.

They were trying to get him an opponent and that is when I got the call.

The deal was that I had to make 8st 12lb but at the time I was due to fight three weeks later at 9st 3lb. I had to take a little bit more off and then go back up. In those eight days I had to really kill my body and be really strict to get down to that 8st 12lb limit.

And I made the weight fine but it was the first time I had a day between the weigh-in and the fight. In that period you want to hydrate and get some food in your body and back in your system. But it was a new experience for me so I just pigged out, I put everything in as quick as possible.

Protein shakes, recovery shakes and food itself and I ended up making myself sick later that day. And that caused me to go into a bit of a panic.

I had put so much in, in such a short space of time - I couldn’t physically eat anything more, I couldn’t drink anything more. I thought, ‘I have blown it.’ I have made myself poorly and I have messed it up here. With the fight being on TV, I have messed a massive opportunity up here.

But I ended up going out the next day and I was absolutely fantastic.

I was worried it was going to affect me in terms of energy, because I had been sick, but Sky Sports said I had thrown 757 punches in six rounds. It wasn’t too bad, to be fair.

Needless to say, I didn’t start pigging out after every weigh-in. That was a scary experience but it led to a good fight.

This week I had the privilege of visiting the 6 Regiment RLC at Dishforth Airfield in Thirsk.

I have always tried to visit the troops and help out as much as I can, in terms of showing support. A fair few years back I got invited to a boxing show at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate. Since my visit there, word has spread about me coming up and showing support to the different bases.

I went up there, did a little bit of media and gave the troops some tickets for the fights.

I was at their show earlier this year and presented a few awards and felt it right to give back. I drove one of the vehicles and went on the shooting range as well, just to get an idea of what it is like to be a solider.

The firing range was a simulated, virtual reality one. I still had a real gun but it was linked up to a computer. I would have liked to have gone on the live firing range but with the fight only a week away, they didn’t want to put me through the real thing with the kick back of the gun.

It was a good experience, we got dressed up in all the gear. We had the webbing on, the helmet and there was me and two other marksmen. And I ended up coming second out of the three of us, so I beat one of the soldiers which isn’t bad going!

l Tickets for the fight are available from the First Direct Arena. Call, 0844 248 1585 or visit www.ticketmaster.co.uk and firstdirectarena.com. Prices: £40, £50, £75, £100, £150, £200, £350 – Inner Ring Hospitality.