Josh Padley has said he’s ready to leave his job as an electrician after his recent fight with lightweight world champion Shakur Stevenson.
Padley, from Doncaster, stepped in to fight Stevenson with only four days’ notice after Floyd Schofield withdrew, reportedly due to alleged poisoning.
Padley, 29, may have lost the fight, but he lasted nine rounds and received much praise for his performance.
He now says he is ready to box full-time and give up his part-time job as an electrician.
He has been managing his training alongside his part-time work.
He was even working on a construction site on the Tuesday morning before receiving the call to see if he would fight Stevenson.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “Fortunately, I am now in a position where I can probably stop working as an electrician and fully commit to boxing.”
“I’m thankful for the opportunity given to me by Turki Alalshikh, and we will be back.”
“There is more to come from me.”
“That fight was on four days’ notice. With an eight-week camp, I know I’ll perform even better.”
Padley was awarded a medal by the WBC after his fight with Stevenson.
He joked, “It’s not exactly the prize I was hoping to bring home.”
“But the rebuilding starts now, and becoming a full-time athlete is very possible.”
Padley also admitted that he left the ring after losing to Stevenson without any regrets.
He added, “I would have loved to win, and that would have been an incredible story, but it didn’t happen.”
“I gave it my all, no regrets. I tried everything I could, but my body wasn’t prepared for those kinds of hits.”
He gained recognition after defeating Mark Chamberlain, who was favored by Alalshikh, in September 2024.
Stevenson commented on the fight after his victory, saying he could have ended it sooner.
He stated, “I barely got hit. Yes, I probably could have stopped him a little earlier, but there’s always room for improvement.”
“As long as I enjoyed my performance, that’s what matters.”
“I was shaking off the ring rust. My last fight was in July. If I can stay active and focused, I’ll be in great shape.”
“He was supposed to come in and give it his best, ensuring he could last all 12 rounds.”
“That’s what he was trying to do. So, I achieved my goal, and he was trying to achieve his.”
Who is Josh Padley and what is his boxing record?
Josh Padley is a British Lightweight boxer who became famous after it was revealed he works part-time as an electrician.
Before his recent fight, Padley competed in smaller events against less known boxers, requiring him to maintain his electrician job for income.
His fight at Wembley Stadium significantly raised his profile after he surprisingly beat Mark Chamberlain, a favorite of Turki Alalshikh.
Padley has been a professional boxer for six years and, with a record of 15 wins and no losses, is now taking a major step in his career by facing Shakur Stevenson for the WBC World Lightweight title.
A win on Saturday night would be one of boxing’s biggest upsets and a great underdog story in British boxing history.
