Chamberlain goes from building site to world stage

Working a full-time job and being a professional boxer was "too much" for Portsmouth-based lightweight Mark Chamberlain.

The undefeated WBA Intercontinental lightweight champion was plastering houses only a year ago, struggling to balance working a nine-to-five job with wanting to achieve his dreams.

"It’s not easy finding sponsorship these days," Chamberlain told BBC South Today.

"You need to be training two or three times a day. You can’t be working because it’s too much.

"I was getting up at five to do my runs, finishing a day of work and then I wasn’t getting home until near nine at night."

He turned professional 12 months ago and now trains two to three times a day as he looks to take his career to the next level.

Acquiring sponsors was something that enabled Chamberlain to do this, letting him quit his job and spend time in the boxing gym without the need to work.

The 25-year-old had a major breakthrough in his career when in March he was given a shot to fight on the undercard of Anthony Joshua v Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.

'Thunder' had only fought on smaller shows or arenas such as York Hall, the Copper Box and Wembley Arena a couple of times - suddenly he was fighting at an event watched by millions around the world.

Chamberlain dispatched of Gavin Gwynne - who had a 17-1 record - inside four rounds to earn a second invitation to Saudi Arabia, this time to fight Joshua Oluwaseun Wahab on the undercard of the undisputed heavyweight bout between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk on 18 May.

“I treat every fight like a world title fight,” Chamberlain added.

“Boxing is a sport where your life is on the line and you can’t afford to make any hiccups.”