By Duncan Johnstone

Top New Zealand light-heavyweight boxer Robert Berridge heads to Thailand on Monday night for a two-week camp with an American fight analyst he hopes can take his game to the next level.

Berridge's promising career hit a major speed bump with his knockout loss to Russian Vasily Lepikhin in the United States last month.

Berridge's manager Vasco Kovacevic identified footwork as his fighter's biggest problem and began a search to find someone to help rectify that.

That led him to American Barry Robinson who bases himself between New York and Asia, specialising in breaking down fighting techniques in a programme called "Clean Boxing".

Robinson, who has also showcased his theories in Europe, has worked with MMA fighters, kickboxers and boxers as well as American footballers.

What began with social media contact has developed into Kovacevic setting up an 11-day camp in Bangkok where Berridge will be showed his flaws and ways to fix them.

Robinson has already been given tapes of Berridge's recent fights against Daniel McKinnon, Kerry Foley and Lepikhin and provided "encouraging feedback".

"He has provided another opinion that has confirmed many of our own thoughts," Kovacevic said.

"Barry comes highly recommended and we're excited about this. He has an ability to break down the fundamentals and the basics and present them in another way.

"We're looking at things Rob has never really done in his whole career ... things we should have learned before.

"Somehow Rob has learned how to walk before he could crawl."

Kovacevic believes Robinson can tune and develop Berridge's balance and power "and the speedy delivery of that power" to take him to the next level.

"It's 11 days' training twice a day and a lot of video analysis," Kovacevic said, adding he was looking to have Berridge fighting again in November or December.

Berridge's loss to Lepikhin was just the second of his 27-fight career that features 24 wins and a draw. He lost his WBO Oriental and PABA belts and his world rankings took a hit, dropping out of the top 15 with both the WBO and WBA after being as high as No 9.

Meanwhile, Duco Promotions have confirmed they will have Izu Ugonoh, a Ugandan-born Polish cruiserweight, on the card of their next event in west Auckland on October 16.

Ugonoh is based in the United States and sought out trainer Kevin Barry for assistance.

Barry has been delighted by what he has seen, having him train in Las Vegas alongside his prized heavyweight Joseph Parker who will headline the card fighting Sherman Williams (Bahamas).

Barry is urging Duco to sign Ugonoh, a 1.91m 27-year-old fighter who has a good history in kickboxing but has turned his talents to boxing, fashioning an unbeaten record in eight fights against European opponents, seven by knockouts.

Ugonoh fights next month against an opponent still to be named has now turned into something of a trial.