Richardson keen to stay busy in first year as pro
Olympic medallist Lewis Richardson is determined to keep busy in the early stages of his professional career.
The 28-year-old middleweight will face Estonia's Artjom Spatar over six rounds in his second pro fight in Altrincham on Saturday.
Richardson outpointed Dmitri Protkunas in his debut contest in June at Ipswich Town's Portman Road ground.
"At this stage of my professional career it's important to have that level of activity. I believe it will be 11 weeks to the day since the debut which is just about right," Richardson told BBC Essex Sport.
"When you're looking to build that up to eight, 10, 12 (rounders), you'll need slightly longer breaks, or maybe not, it depends on how the fights go or how good the camps are.
"I'll be hoping to have a minimum of five fights within the first 12 months and so far we're on track for that."
Richardson, from Colchester, outscored Protkunas 60-54 in his first fight since leaving the amateur ranks and did not find the extra distance a problem.
"It was the first time I'd done six rounds. As an Olympic athlete, it's a bit more of a sprint, three three-minute rounds. (But) I pride myself on being fit as a controllable factor, I'm very diligent in my approach to preparation and training," he said.
It is just over a year since Richardson won bronze at the Paris Games, Team GB's only boxing medal, and he is still finding it difficult to leave his experiences in the French capital behind.
"Every single day it feels like the Olympics is a topic of conversation. It's one of the only times the country gets behind their own and you feel that pride to be British. We don't get that enough in the country," he said.
"I certainly felt that during and post the Games. A year on people still talk to me about it and I think that just shows the impact and the power of sport.
"People think it was an overnight success, it wasn't. It was years and years of hard work and discipline, with a lot of setbacks along the way.
"The average person may have quit or looked to go on a different path so I guess it's testament to me and my team for sticking to the process."
Richardson – who signed to Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions stable when he turned pro in May – is hoping that fighting in the Greater Manchester area on Saturday will enable him to add some extra followers to his fan base.
He added: "The Games helped to bring that national focus on me. Of course I want to represent Colchester and Essex but when we move on to world honours, I want to represent the whole of the UK."
Lewis Richardson was speaking to BBC Essex's Tom Larsen-Wright
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