On Friday March 27th, Tommy Frank gets to live out his dream. It's a dream that started way back in 2007 when an impressionable youngster was watching his British boxing hero, Ricky Hatton fighting in the U.S. on television.

"I can remember being a teenager and watching Ricky Hatton in Vegas against Jose Luis Castillo for the IBO title," the twenty-six year-old told me. "And funnily enough Dennis (Hobson, Frank's promoter) were promoting Hatton at the time and I remember watching that fight dreaming of one day fighting for a world title myself. Now the time's coming up where I am and it's just an unbelievably exciting time for me."

The opponent in question, on March 27th at the Ponds Forge Arena in Frank's home town of Sheffield, will be IBO flyweight world champion, Maximino Flores. Last year, the Mexican surprised many with a win over Carlo Caesar Penalosa on away soil in the Philippines. 'Super' Tommy Frank is well aware of the challenge that awaits him.

"He's definitely going to be a hard man to beat. He's not coming over here wanting to give me his belt," the now former Commonwealth champion said. "It's up to me to be the best Tommy Frank and put in the performance to beat Maximino. He's fought on these shores before; he fought Andrew Selby (in a twelve-round decision defeat). We've known of him and kept an eye on him and as soon as the possibility were mentioned about boxing him for the IBO title - I were just over the moon."

In preparation for his impending world title shot, the 13-0 flyweight ventured out to the Ukraine to train and spar with WBA flyweight world champion, Artem Dalakian. It's been priceless experience gained working with another of the world's elite 112lb fighters.

"That were my second stint out there in the Ukraine. I went out just before Christmas last year (2018) and at that time, I'd just won the Central Area title," he explained.

"Fast-forward a year and things have changed. I've picked up a few titles including the IBO Intercontinental, so I went out there as not just an up-and-coming prospect anymore, but as a champion.

They'd been keeping an eye on me and that's why they decided to invite me back out there and get some good rounds sparring in with the WBA champ. It were just a great experience again. I can't thank them enough; they really do look after you when you're out there."

But after a spell in mainland Europe, he yearned to return to his roots.

"You can't beat sunny Sheffield!" he says with a smile. After more hard work being put in at the Sheffield Boxing Centre under his trainer, Glyn Rhodes - a week's training in Fuerteventura awaited him the day after our interview.

Despite there only being a handful of active flyweights in the UK (just thirteen according to Boxrec), a ready-made opponent for Frank lives in the same city. The undefeated Kyle Yousaf is someone he expects to cross paths with in the future.

"Will I meet Kyle Yousaf? Absolutely, how can I not? We're all going to fight each other: me, Sunny Edwards and Kyle Yousaf. We're all going to fight; it's just a matter of when. I don't care when or who I fight. I'd fight any of them tomorrow. All I do is train as hard as I can and beat whoever gets put in front of me. I leave all the matchmaking and politics and contracts to my management team. I can't complain with the job that they've done with me so far."

The aforementioned Sunny Edwards is a rather prickly character. A bit like Marmite; you either love him or hate him. Sunny and Tommy have traded barbs on social media, but Tommy holds nothing against the highly-rated British super-flyweight champion from Croydon.

"Everyone kind of slates him when he gets mentioned to me, they kind of slag him off, but I don't think he's a bad lad, to be honest," Frank admitted. "He knows I'm not scared to fight him and anyone that knows me knows I'd never duck any challenge from any fighter. Everyone knows I got offered the British title fight (with Edwards) and my management thought it would be a bigger fight if we built it up more and had it a bit further on. I'm sure me and Sunny will fight and when we do, I think it will be for a big title on a massive card."

The extremely likeable and polite world title challenger ended our chat paying tribute to those Sheffield fans who have followed his career from its inception all the way up to what will be his biggest night.

"Thank you to everyone that's getting behind me and buying tickets. I've always felt like I've had a personal touch with the fans. Between my training sessions - I'm always flying about dropping tickets off for people and having a chat with them. They can see I'm just a normal working-class lad."

In Sheffield, Tommy Frank is already the people's champion. On March 27th, he hopes to become world champion.