THE Nightmare continues for Nathaniel Collins. The Bearsden featherweight will again metamorphosise into his boxing alter-ego – complete with mask and outfit – when he returns to the ring alongside trainer Joe Ham after an 18-month absence.
Those will be the only two constants, however, from the 24 year-old’s previous outing at the start of 2020.
He returns to the spotlight having recently switched management company from the St Andrew’s Sporting Club to Kynoch Boxing, presenting him with the chance to benefit from their recent promotional tie-up with veteran boxing guru Dennis Hobson.
The Englishman’s outdoor shows in his native Sheffield have proved such a success that the concept will now be rolled out at Hamilton Accies’ New Douglas Park stadium on July 31.
It will be Collins’ first experience of boxing outdoors, with the prospect of competing for a Commonwealth title also adding to the sense of anticipation.
Having grown up in Hamilton, it will provide the perfect setting for a homecoming for the undefeated southpaw, with many of his old school pals expected among the 1500-strong crowd.
“I can’t wait to get back out – what a show this is going to be,” he says excitedly. “It’s just thinking outside the box, something different for Scotland and takes you away from that small hall feeling.
“It will feel like a proper show, in a stadium, with a big crowd, and a great way to announce the return of boxing up here after so long.
“Sam Kynoch has been innovative to get things going again and I’m delighted to get the chance to work with him and Dennis Hobson for the first one.
“You can tell the passion for the sport that both these guys have and it’s great to have that support behind you.
“I was brought up in Hamilton and a lot of my pals from school are big Accies fans so it’s a return to my hometown which just adds to it for me.
“All of them have messaged me to say they’re going to come along so it will be good to have that support.”
Collins took the chance to head down to a recent show in Sheffield to gain first-hand experience of just what an al fresco boxing event might look like. And it has whetted the appetite for when his time comes around.
“The set-up was great down there,” he adds. “And it was really useful to see it close up. It was very professionally run and different to anything I’ve ever experienced before.
“They’ve tried to make it as similar as possible for this show in Hamilton and if they can replicate that, it will be great. It’s going to be shown live on Fightzone so it’s going to look brilliant with all the cameras.”
As well as making changes to his management team, Collins has used lockdown to build up his bootcamp training business, Nightmare Fitness.
The success of that and support from his other sponsors – MYKrew Industries, Knockout Meals and James English – has allowed him to dedicate himself fully to preparing for this bout.
And he reveals he’s kept himself busy while waiting for the chance to return to boxing.
“Even though we’ve been in and out of lockdown, the past year has been pretty good for me,” he added.
“I don’t go out or drink normally anyway so I’ve just been plugging away doing my own thing, training hard and starting up a business which has been going well.
“I also did the David Goggins challenge which involves running four miles every four hours for 48 hours, and I was up climbing the hills around Scotland and doing cliff jumping and the rest of it.
“So I kept myself going adrenaline-wise to replace the boxing! I thought I might have got a shout to go on one of the closed doors fights down in England but the opportunity never materialised. But I was always ready if called upon.”
The delay caused by the pandemic has done little to dilute Collins’ ambition. And the Celtic champion still has the desire to make it to the very top of his sport.
“This will be my first 12-rounder with a title on the line so it just shows I’m not wanting to take easy fights. I just want to get straight back into it.
“I’ve not lost that confidence in my ability and in my training. The long-term goal is still to fight for a world title and having this platform with Sam and Dennis makes it more realistic than ever before.
“And The Nightmare is coming back! I’ve ordered new kit and a new mask so, while a lot of other things have changed, that is still the same. It’s part of who I am now.”
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