‘It sort of consumes your life’- Steven Ward in lighter mood thanks to move from light heavy
Steven Ward [12(4)-1(1)] claims it took him a week to put his first career behind him.
‘The Quietman’ suffered the kind of defeat that usually prompts a lot of self reflection and wound licking back in December of last year.
The Jamie Moore trained fighter lost his WBO European ranking title via first round stoppage to the relatively unknown Ricards Bolotniks in the quarter finals of the Golden Contract.
On paper it’s possibly the epitome of a soul searching defeat, but not for Ward.
The 30-year-old didn’t need anytime to reflect. Ward was going to extraordinary lengths to make light heavyweight and knew his time at the weight was coming to end.
As a result he knew exactly what the issue was within seconds of his defeat.
It still hurt for a week, but knowing how and why it came about has made it easier to take and meant there was need for a major inquiry.
“People talk about having time to reflect after a defeat, but I didn’t need any time. We knew why I lost,” said Ward.
“It didn’t take a rocket scientist to work it out, and I wasn’t really down in the dumps about it. It probably took me less than a week to get over it.
“I met my strength and conditioning coach and my nutritionist about a week after the fight to plan the way ahead. And we are still building towards that.”
The popular Newtownabbey fighter had planned to move up the scales earlier, but felt he couldn’t turn down the kind of opportunity provided by the Golden Contract.
As a result he continued to boil down to 12st 7lbs and his very stringent diet.
“I would walk about at 15st anyway, and then boil down to 12st 7lbs for light-heavyweight. It was too much,” Ward added.
“But I got caught by a big punch in the last fight, and sometimes that happens in boxing. It would have been worse if I got knocked pillar to post for 10 rounds.
“It was tough making weight. I think sometimes being too professional can be my downfall at times. I was constantly weighing food, and I mean everything.
“I would never eat out anywhere because I couldn’t weigh it. I was throwing everything on the scales before it went in my mouth.
“It sort of consumes your life a little bit. It did work, but it sort of took over,” he adds before revealing the Golden Contract delayed his move up plans.
“I should have gone up after the Liam Conroy fight, but then you get handed the Golden Contract opportunity, and I would have been mad to let it pass me by.
“I had to grasp that opportunity.”
