Boxer Johnny Fisher - "The Romford Bull" - is keen to put his home town on the map as he is set to make his professional debut next month.

The 21-year-old heavyweight has limited amateur experience as he was playing rugby until his second year of studying at Exeter University - when he decided to don the gloves once again.

But he will now make his debut on the undercard of Josh Kelly vs David Avanesyan live on Sky Sports on Saturday, February, 20.

“I’ve always lived in and around Romford, I grew up here, and I'm really proud of where I am from,” Fisher says.

“I was head boy at Marshall’s Park School and I’ve always tried to be part of the community and involve myself where I can.

“All my family live and have grown up around here and I want to put Romford on the map, so this is a good time to do it.

“I’ve always boxed, since I was about five or six. My grandad used to do a bit, my dad used to box for Repton, Lion ABC, and West Ham. I boxed at Brentwood, Hornchurch, Elm Park and Five Star in Harold Hill.

“I started playing rugby when I was at sixth form and university. In the second year I started boxing again.

“I had some great memories boxing as a kid for Hornchurch and Elm Park. I was London ABA champion as a junior.”

He added: “I was meant to fight in December on the Anthony Joshua undercard. That was the plan. Then I was meant to fight in January but it got pushed back because of the pandemic.

“Now we’ve got a date sealed on I'm looking forward to it.

“I’m really grateful because there are a lot of boxers out there that fight on small shows or shows that require venues therefore they haven’t got any work at the minute.

“I’m lucky. I've come out of university and straight into a great career in boxing so I'll always be very grateful for the opportunity.”

The former Coopers Sixth form student submitted his dissertation from Las Vegas earlier this year as he took lessons from Joe Joyce in the boxing ring.

What is more incredible is that he was able to emerge with a 2:1 despite juggling his final semester with sparring one of the top heavyweights in boxing.

Fisher says: “It was difficult at the time, I was out there training with Joe Joyce at his camp for his fight with Daniel Dubois, and I sacrificed a lot. I was on track for a first class in history but they told me it’s a good opportunity and you’ll still most likely end up with a 2:1, which I got.

“It was a great opportunity to take. I'm signed to Matchroom Boxing, fighting on Sky Sports, and S-Jam boxing so I'm in a great position.

“I learnt loads, I got to train in the UFC performance institute, where we did all our strength and conditioning work.

“I saw Gennady Golovkin, Khabib Nurmagomedov and some other great boxers, but just to be in that environment, and the fight capital of the world, gave me a real taste of what professional boxing could be like.”

He added: “One day the dream is to take all of my supporters from Romford, the country roads posse, on a flight out there. It would be unbelievable.

“Even after I got back from Vegas I was having to help my dad with his food business. We were doing deliveries on the back of his van throughout lockdown, all around Romford, Essex and London.

“To go from that to a few months later being signed as a professional boxer is amazing.”

The youngster also revealed his boxing heroes and wants to be considered a big name in the future.

“Lennox Lewis is my idol. I used to watch him a lot, and I still think he has got to be the best or at least one of the best ever to lace up a pair of gloves.

“Henry Cooper is another one. But we’ve also had some great sportsmen in general come from this area, Steve Davis, Kevin Mitchell, and plenty of footballers as well.

“It’s a good area for some of the top talents and if one day I can join those names then I'll be a very happy man.

“I know how hard this sport is, I know I've got a lot to learn, I've got a lot of experience to gain but I've got good potential and my aim, as anyone’s should be, is to get to the top of the pile.

“My feet are firmly on the ground, I have some tough tests ahead of me, and it all starts on February 20.”