• Middleweight

Ogogo ready for US after showing punching power

Anthony Ogogo is looking forward to exhibiting his skills for an American audience, after impressing on his professional boxing debut at the weekend.

Ogogo, the Olympic bronze medallist, showed a huge amount of potential in his second round stoppage of Kieron Gray in Sheffield on Saturday - and is now set to fight in New Jersey on May 18 as he tries to start making a name for himself on the other side of the Atlantic.

The chance to fight in the US, unusually early for a British prospect, is the reason why the middleweight made the decision to sign with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions.

"I'm getting excited about making my US debut in Atlantic City on a massive bill where you've got [Lucas] Matthysse fighting [Lamont] Peterson and then Lee Purdy against Devon Alexander," Ogogo told ESPN's Buncey's Boxing Podcast.

"This is why I chose Golden Boy. People asked me 'Why Golden Boy? Why did I want to go to America?' I'm not going to America at all; I'm very much boxing here, with the opportunity to fight over in America [from time-to-time]."

Ogogo believes fighting on a bill of big fights will help his boxing education - revealing he learned a huge amount simply from being ringside for Amir Khan's close victory over Julio Diaz.

"I know it sounds silly but being front row and watching Amir Khan after my fight was phenomenal," Ogogo added. "I learnt more in that 36 minutes just watching him at a top level of elite pro boxing than I have done in [months in] the gym.

"The things that he does, there are some things that he does that are better than any other boxers in the world."

Ogogo admitted that he was actually disappointed his own fight lasted less than two full rounds, but hopes the punching power he showed will bode well for his long-term prospects in the sport.

"In a weird way, I was a bit gutted about [the early finish]," Ogogo said. "I know everybody says that in pro boxing you don't get paid for overtime but that was my first time in the ring for nine months and I was having that much fun and I really wanted it to continue - but it was one of those punches and it hasn't happened to me very often!

"I wasn't renowned for being a big puncher as an amateur, it was more my speed and my footwork and my in-and-out style, but I punched it and it felt like I was shadow boxing, it didn't feel like I had connected it with anything, so it must've been a good shot!"

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