Lewis Benson ready to step up to the big time

At the end of this month however, he will face his toughest task to date when he takes on Englishman Johnny Coyle, who is a Prizefighter champion and boasts an 18-0 record.

But Benson remains unfazed and is confident that come the 30th of June, it will be Coyle’s unbeaten record that is in tatters.

“I feel great - this is a massive opportunity for me but one I’m very confident about,” the super-lightweight said.

“This is the best shape I’ve ever been and four weeks out, I’ve never been this focused or this determined.

“I need to be the best I’ve ever been to make sure I win this fight convincingly. This will definitely be my hardest fight yet, by a long way. But the way things have been going in the gym, I have reason to be confident.”

Some have expressed surprise at Benson’s willingness to take this fight that is considerably harder than many young fighters still trying to establish themselves in the pro ranks would risk. But Benson, who fights out of the legendary Lochend boxing gym, reveals he had few hesitations about making the step up in class.

“I’m not there to make up the numbers or I’m not taking this fight for the money, I’m taking it because I believe I can win,” he said.

“It’s still pretty early in my career to be taking a fight like this but that’s what I want. If I win this, it will get me into the top six or seven in the country so I went for it.”

Benson’s fight will take place in Belfast on the undercard of the Michael Conlan - Adeilson Dos Santos show which will be shown live on BT Sport. It is the kind of platform that Benson has been hankering after for some time and he is, he admits, thrilled to finally be making the step up, with a British title fight in his sights once he deposes of Coyle.

“When I beat Johnny Coyle, my name will be out there and all my fights will be big,” said the fighter, who is supported by Watermans.

“Doors will open for me when I win this fight so I have every incentive to make sure I win. I’m thinking that this is a stepping-stone to a British title as my next fight.

“I’ve been building towards this for almost three years so it’s good to be here now. This was the right time for me to risk everything.”

Scottish boxing is in an exceedingly healthy state at the moment, with Benson’s Glasgow 2014 teammate Josh Taylor leading the way. But Benson admits that he is desperate to grab some of the limelight from his compatriots.

“There’s definitely a part of me that wants to show people what I can do,” he said.

“If I win this fight, I’ll be the number two boxer in Scotland at any weight. Josh Taylor is flying the flag and I’ll be the highest ranked Scottish fighter behind him. That’s a big driver for me.”

Benson has plenty of internal motivation but if he needed any further drive, it comes from the fact that he wants to prove his doubters wrong. As someone who, by his own admission, was something of a cocky teenager, he rubbed a few people up the wrong way and as a result, there are a number of observers who are waiting for him to fail. But if anything, the haters only serve to fire him up further.

“A lot of people out there don’t like me - they don’t like my boxing style and in the amateurs, I had a cocky arrogance about me,” he admits.

“I think those feeling towards me are more as a result of how I used to be when I was younger - I used to think that I couldn’t get beaten, although I was just confident in myself. I wasn’t like that with my friends but in the boxing world, that’s maybe how I came across. But if you get to know me, that’s not at all what I’m like.

“You grow up but your past doesn’t always leave you and some people want to see fail. But that doesn’t bother me and all of the people who want me to fail just gives me an added incentive. So maybe after this fight, I’ll gain the respect.

“I’ll probably be a massive underdog with the bookies too but I love that.

“All that means is that my pals will owe me more money when I win and they’ll owe me a few pints for that.”