By Mark Turley

Nuneaton’s Kristian Laight will reach a major boxing milestone this weekend when he steps into the ring against light-welterweight debutant Kieron McLaren in Staffordshire.

Laight may not have won any titles in his career, or have legions of fans clamouring for smartphone pics with him at shows, but he has achieved something that very few fighters of the modern era will come close to emulating. Saturday will mark the 200th, yes 200th fight of a pro career that began in 2003 and shows no signs of stopping yet.

“I still feel fresh” said the 34-year-old when speaking to BoxingScene.  “I don’t get caught with too many big shots, so there’s no reason why I can’t carry for a few more years yet.  The way I’m going, I can see myself continuing into my forties.”

Kristian is a big admirer of journeyman legend Peter Buckley, who eventually retired in 2008 after his 300th contest.

“I’m aiming for the 300, too,” Kris explained.  “I’d love to achieve what Peter achieved.  It’s a great target to aim for.”

Many find the journeyman mindset confusing.  After all, of Laight’s 199 bouts to date, he has won only 9, with 7 draws, leaving him with a towering pile of 183 defeats.  But for men such as Kristian, who earn their living by fighting three or four times a month, the goalposts are in a different place.

“A lot of people don’t understand the game or how it works,” he said.  “I use my skills and my craftiness to look after myself.  The business taught me early on that’s the way it had to be.  The ring is like my office.  I go to work in there.  Most of the time it’s easy.”

Kristian’s manager Jon Pegg thinks Kristian should get more credit for what he does, he said: “I get young lads in my gym in Birmingham laughing at Kris because of his record.  I tell them straight: ‘You’re not as good as him—you’re not good enough to do what he does’.  People don’t appreciate his ability.”

Using his fast hands and tight guard, Laight has honed his art so finely that is rare to see him take a full-blooded shot.  “He is outstanding defensively,” added Pegg.

These attributes have made him highly sought after by anyone with a young prospect who needs rounds in the bank.  Kristian’s nickname, ‘Mr Reliable’ stems from the fact that so far, in his eleven year career, he has never turned down a contest and incredibly has taken bouts at everything between featherweight and light middleweight.

When the final bell rings on Saturday night, Kristian Laight will be able to go home to the pub in Nuneaton where he lives with his partner, have a drink and look back on eleven years of sterling service to British boxing.

“I like to think I perform a valuable role in the game,” he said, with a tinge of sadness in his voice.  “It might be nice if more people appreciated it, but what can you do?”

Mark Turley can be found on Twitter @MarkTurley72.  His book, ‘Journeymen, the other side of the Boxing Business’ (Pitch Publishing) is available for pre-order and on Kindle now.