Never one to shy away from a tough fight, Lee Appleyard has taken on multiple undefeated fighters and bouts at short notice throughout his six year professional career, whilst working full-time as a window and fascia soffit salesman. The former English lightweight champion has done things the hard way and is happy to fight anyone. "100%. There's not one name that gets said that I won't accept," he proudly told me after his evening training session.

"It's all experience at the end of the day, win, lose or draw. You're still going to learn a lot from it, so I've always took the opportunities when they've come."

It's a refreshing perspective when compared to a crop of today's fighters who are somewhat protected by big promoters and cherry-pick their way to big titles. The thirty-two year-old is proud of the road he has paved for himself.

"I've done it the hard way and I know when I do eventually come out of this sport, everything I've earned - I've earned!`1 I can take a lot of positives away from that," Appleyard said.

"Some of them have won titles fighting absolute nobodies. Do they even think that they've won the title? It's been a bit of a rollercoaster, ups and downs, but I keep plodding on and my experience is helping through the fights now."

On March 20th at the Barnsley Metrodome, the twenty-two fight veteran, including sixteen wins, challenges Scottish super-lightweight champion, Ahmed Mweva for the vacant IBO Continental super-lightweight title.

"I don't know much about him at all," he admitted. "My manager and promoter, Stefy Bull said, 'what about this lad?' and I said, 'yeah, no problem'. We sat down and had a look at him about a week or two ago. We're now working on a game plan with what we think will work well on the night. I have all the faith in Stefy that whatever gameplan he comes up with - it'll work."

After two years as an amateur boxer between the ages of fourteen to sixteen, the Rotherham native was unfortunate enough to endure the pitfall that so many young fighters seem to go through resulting in him walking away from the sport for eight years.

"I had a really, really bad decision against a good kid and I'll never forget it. I won every round. I got announced the winner and then they changed the decision. I'd got out the ring with my trophy and they changed it from me winning on a majority to him winning on a unanimous. Why am I training like this when I could be going out with me mates and enjoying myself for some random bloke to decide I'm not going to win? So I just walked away from it. Then, at twenty-four, I did a couple of years amateur and I turned pro. I probably could have achieved a fair bit more if I'd stuck at it. I've no regrets of how it happened. I met me wife and I've had children and everything's worked out for the better in that way."

The proud family man is part of a booming stable of fighters working out of Stefy Bull's gym in South Yorkshire. IBO & WBC super-featherweight World champion, Terri Harper and IBO Continental welterweight champion, Anthony Tomlinson top a list of boxers eager to make 2020 a memorable one for the gym.

"The gym's flying. I've been saying it since last year, next year (2020) is going to be a year when everyone's collecting belts. Terri's already done it, Ant's won his eliminators (and) on Saturday night Lewis Booth won the Central Area title. I've a really, really good feeling about this year for the whole gym. We all work together; we all push each other."

Appleyard worked the corner for Terri Harper's recent World title unification win against Eva Wahlstrom in Sheffield and hopes to use his viewpoint from the corner to not only help himself, but other young, aspiring boxers after he hangs up his gloves.

"I've got me trainer's licence now and I'm getting into learning all the bits and bobs in the corner," he explained. "It probably helps me when I'm fighting as well because you're taking a different look at everything. Obviously, when I do come away from boxing, that is my aim, to get into training and try and train champions myself."

As 2020 begins to gain pace and the Stefy Bull gym garners even more accolades and success. Appleyard is confident of winning the IBO Continental title on March 20th, a win which will then open even more avenues in the future.

"It's another belt coming back to the gym and then we'll push on from there. My goal, obviously I want to win this, I don't look past it, then I really want to win a British or a Commonwealth title.