Striding towards the ring on Saturday night, Luke Evans felt the roar of the crowd and the beat of his music as he prepared to take on his next opponent.

He remained composed as he ducked under the rope, knowing that all his dedication and training was about to pay off.

Dancing through eight rounds, Luke landed clean blows and dodged affectively as he reigned victorious over his opponent, Robin Zamora.

The feeling of winning came as pure euphoria for Luke, who had dedicated weeks of intense training to reach this point.

But, to rewind to the start of the night, the Hyde boxer felt the nerves build as he anticipated the start of his fight.

“I was the last fight on the whole card, the main event, so there was a lot of expectation and a lot of pressure on my fight.

“My nerves were up and down all day, but as soon as my music came on, I got in the zone and enjoyed the moment. It was amazing to see people I’ve not seen in a while cheering my name.

“As soon as I got in the ring, I used the energy to perform,” he said.

A performance is certainly what he put on, testing his rival, and proving his strength as a fighter.

His tactics were perfect, attacking and defending at the ideal time.

“We knew he was aggressive, he’s had 19 wins and he’s a very experienced fighter, winning some international titles.

“We knew he’d give me a good test, but our tactics were spot on. I took one round at a time to see what he had to offer. I tactically figured him out to choose when to attack and when to defend.”

Feeling confident throughout the fight, Luke knew that he had won each round, so when the judged revealed this fact at the end he was over the moon.

“When the score cards relayed what I was already thinking, I knew I’d done a good enough job and that was the most amazing feeling.

“I know I could’ve thrown more punches, but I was so in control, and I didn’t need to be overly aggressive,” he said.

The last few months have been intense for Luke, with constant training and strict nutrition to ensure he was in the best possible place ahead of his event.

“I’ve worked so hard for the last 12 weeks, just waiting for a fight date. Of course, we got one and my opponent also had a fair amount of notice, which is unheard of for someone of my level.

“I’m proud of how disciplined I was, I was mature in the ring. I didn’t need to do anything less and I didn’t need to do anything more.”

The fight was a spectacular sight, a fantastic win that Luke dedicated to his late grandfather. A key character in his life, the passing of his grandad was a huge loss.

“I believe he would’ve been proud of me. I felt his energy in the ring, I was thinking about him before and after the fight.

“The fight was for him, and I just hope to make him happy.

“I’ve also got a little boy on the way, words can’t sum up the emotions I felt when I found out.

“I feel so blessed and I feel like I’ve completed life. Hopefully I can make my little boy and my little girl proud,” Luke said.

It may be unlucky for some, but Luke’s 13th win positioned him as rank 13 in Britain, out of an impressive 110 fighters.

“I never dreamed to be that high up when I became professional. I was just an 18-year-old kid that had nothing better to do with his time.

“But I’ve dedicated myself and worked hard to get here.”

Aiming to reach some title fights in 2023, Luke’s fight calendar looks like he will face another opponent in June before taking on titles.

“It looks like I’ll have another eight-round fight in June, if I come through that then it’s guaranteed titles.

“All I’ve got to do is continue winning and there’s no harm in me getting another 8-round fight under my belt, it’s good to get used to the weight too,” he added.

It was a fantastic night for coach Matthew Hatton, who flew up and down the motorway to support both Luke and his gymmate Campbell Hatton.

“I’d like to think Matthew is proud of us both, I believe my whole team are happy.

“They deserve more recognition, without them there’s no me, so I’d like to give a massive thank you to all my coaching staff.”

After putting in insane levels of dedication, Luke is now enjoying a week off with his family, during which he is enjoying good food and fun times.

A huge Manchester United fan, Luke has plans to watch the United Stand show live in Manchester, as well as spending quality time with his family.

Hattersley boxer Luke Evans will undoubtedly earn impressive accolades and titles going forward. He is dedicated, talented and has a desire to win – making him an all-round incredible fighter.

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