Mississauga boxer John Michael Bianco is making his skilled debut in 2022.
The previous Olympic hopeful has signed a four-year contract with Three Lions, a promotion primarily based out of Hamilton, and his first combat will probably be in Sydney, Nova Scotia on February 5.
After his purpose to get to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympic Video games was dashed resulting from modifications to the qualification course of as a result of pandemic, Bianco signed with Supervisor Gary Freedman, who manages a secure of native boxers, together with Oleksandr Teslenko, the previous North American Boxing Affiliation Heavyweight Champion.
Bianco mentioned he had spoken forwards and backwards with representatives from Three Lions, and the truth that they’re a Canadian Promotion was crucial to him.
“The boxing scene in Canada sadly isn’t that massive, so I like the chance of with the ability to step as much as the plate and assist construct it up,” he mentioned in an interview with insauga.com.
Bianco mentioned he would have favored to show professional years in the past, however he had set his sights on the Olympics, which have historically solely been open to novice rivals.
Nevertheless, after a qualifying event he was scheduled to attend in Argentina fell via as a result of pandemic, the qualification was overhauled, and a factors system was applied.
As a result of truth Bianco hadn’t appeared in any worldwide tournaments, he was scheduled to compete in his first in Argentina, he was ineligible to compete.
After taking a while off, he determined it was time to receives a commission.
“I used to be all the time planning on turning professional after the Olympics, so when that fell via, I knew that was going to be my subsequent transfer,” he mentioned.
Whereas it’s the identical sport, the world {of professional} boxing may be very completely different, one thing Bianco is wanting ahead to.
“I believe now that I’m going to know who my opponent is and know who I’m preventing nicely prematurely, I’ll have the ability to focus my camp on a particular fighter and magnificence, versus novice, the place I may very well be preventing a number of folks in a single weekend and who it’s isn’t decided till the day earlier than.”
Nevertheless, in addition to a extra centered strategy to his opponent, Bianco doesn’t anticipate his general coaching regime will change very a lot.
Moreover, with 70 novice bouts beneath his belt, he feels his background has ready him for skilled competitions.
“I really want I’d have been capable of get just a few extra fights in, however 70 remains to be loads, and I believe it is going to undoubtedly assist me make the transition.”
He additionally acknowledged the truth that professional boxing is unforgiving, a single loss on a boxer’s file can price them a whole lot and even 1000’s of {dollars}, and a number of losses typically ends their probabilities at a title shot.
“There’s much more strain and emphasis on my file—as a professional, once you lose a few times it’s a giant deal in comparison with the amateurs the place a loss doesn’t actually matter all that a lot.”
Whereas he has a date for his debut, he doesn’t have an opponent as of but, but it surely’s not one thing he’s significantly involved about at this level.
“To be trustworthy I don’t know and I don’t actually care an excessive amount of. I’ll most likely discover out who my opponent is about six weeks out from the combat, so I’m simply going to maintain doing what I must do, I’m not considering an excessive amount of proper now about who it’s going to be,” he mentioned. “It doesn’t matter what, whoever I find yourself preventing, I’ll be ready for them—I’m excited both method.”
Most of all, Bianco is happy to only get again into the ring.
“I’m wanting ahead to getting again into the competitors side that has been lacking for the reason that begin of the pandemic for me,” he mentioned. “Being unable to compete for nearly two years has been tough, so I’m actually wanting ahead to only with the ability to get again into the ring, and having that feeling of competitors again.”
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