Scott Quigg Unscripted: Training With Freddie Roach

I cannot wait for my first fight in the United States. It’s going down soon, Saturday evening at the StubHub Center (ESPN and ESPN Deportes, 10:30 EST) against the exciting WBO Featherweight champion, Oscar Valdez. It will be fireworks from the opening bell.

I am from a town called Bury, England, but now, my professional boxing home is Hollywood, California, where I am training with the great Freddie Roach at Wild Card Boxing Club. I have trained with Freddie since early last year, and the Valdez fight is the culmination of more than a year of tireless work.

I had been with my previous trainer, Joe Gallagher, for six years. We accomplished amazing things together, but I felt like I needed a change. The first time I trained at Wild Card was in 2009 for a short camp. I came here because I am always looking to better myself, and the only way to do so is to spar with the best fighters. At Wild Card, the sparring separates the men from the boys.

Since then, I’ve come back to Wild Card every year, and I always kept in touch with Freddie. I believe this is the place I need to be to accomplish my goal of becoming a two-weight world champion.

When I’m in camp, I am disciplined. Whether I’m in England or in Hollywood, all I do is eat, sleep, and train. By the time fight night rolls around, I will have been in the U.S. for nine weeks… and that’s not long enough. I love it out here. When you walk outside, and the sun is shining, it doesn’t get better than that.

I’ve been asked what a veteran fighter like myself can gain from switching trainers. At this point in my career, my style is pretty much solidified. I’ve had 37 pro fights now, so not much is going to change. We can add little, subtle things. The tools that I already have, I’m being shown how to use them better. It’s about placement in the ring and being in control at all times. Everybody at the world level can throw the same combinations — a 1-2 left hook and jab-right hand — but it’s about knowing how to set those combinations up in the ring. And, that’s what I’m being educated on every single day.

It’s going to be a great fight on Saturday. The StubHub Center is known for incredible fights. I am looking forward to becoming part of that legacy.

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Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Matchroom Boxing, remaining tickets for Valdez vs. Quigg, priced at $206, $104, $53 and $27.50, including facility fees, can be purchased online at AXS.com, by phone at (888) 9AXS-TIX, or by visiting the StubHub Center box office.