2012 Olympic Bronze medalist Anthony Ogogo (8-0, 4 KOs) is ready to return to the ring on Saturday, May 28 against Chris Herrmann (21-10-1, 12 KOs) at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, live on Sky Sports. Ogogo has endured a difficult time with injuries since joining the professional ranks. Having returned from a long-standing Achilles problem, which saw him sidelined for 12 months, the 27 year-old dislocated his shoulder during a unanimous points win over Ruslan Schelev last July. Now injury free, Ogogo is ready to get his promising career back on track, starting with Saturday’s event, a fight he believes will lead to the bigger challenges he craves.
Ogogo’s return is part of a huge night of action in Glasgow as Ricky Burns (39-5-1,13 KOs) looks to become a three-division world champion as he takes on Michele Di Rocco (40-1-1, 18 KOs) for the vacant WBA Super-Lightweight World Championship.
“I’m at the stage now where I would fight anybody put in front of me,’’ says Ogogo. “Chomping at the bit doesn’t come close to describing how I feel about boxing right now. I’ve had two of the hardest most horrible years imaginable. I’ve been through a hellacious rehab, and I’ve done it all for this moment – to get back in the ring and show the world my true ability – so I couldn’t care less if my opponent was Gennady Golovkin or Glen Smith from down the street.
“I just want to get in there, do my thing and hopefully I can deal with this guy handily and move on to the next one. Although it’s my comeback fight, it’s like I’m running a hurdles race. This is just hurdle number one and I’ve got fifty more hurdles to get over after this one. I’m not overlooking my opponent, as I know boxing can come to a sudden end with one fell swoop of a punch, but for me, this is just the first of many hurdles I must get over to make it to the top.’’
Ogogo, who has already set his sights on the division’s champions, believes activity will be key in achieving his goals.
“If it was down to me I would be fighting for a title on Saturday,’’ he says. “I want to win titles and I want to clean up the division, but I know this will only come with activity. I’ve had eight fights in three years because I’ve had the most rotten luck imaginable, but all I need now is a nice clean bill of health and to build some momentum. Ideally, I want to be fighting every four to six weeks.
“Back in the day they were boxing every month. One of my heroes Sugar Ray Robinson fought every month – fifteen rounds here, ten rounds there – and that’s what I want to do. That’s how a fighter develops his skillset, his speed, his timing – by being busy and keeping active.
“If I can string a few fights together, I can get myself into a good position and then we can start aiming for the champions but first and foremost, I need to get back in the ring and back to what I do best. That starts with a good win on Saturday night.’’
“Herrmann will provide a good test for Anthony’s first fight back,’’ said promoter Kalle Sauerland. ‘’He’s an experienced fighter who has shared the ring with some quality opposition. This is a chance for Anthony to get back under the lights and to shake of the ring rust. We believe Anthony is a match for anyone in the division, and when he comes through this, the bigger fights will follow.’’
“This fight will mark a significant step along Anthony’s comeback trail,” said Golden Boy Promotion Chairman and CEO, Oscar De La Hoya. “We all know the talent and desire is there in abundance, and if Anthony can stay healthy the sky is limit for him in the middleweight division.”