Before his move back to Cayman, Christopher Hurlston, 24, has officially announced the opponent he will face for his first bout on local soil as a professional heavyweight boxer.
After three years of competing across Europe as an amateur turned professional with a 4-0 record, Hurlston is set to take on Colombia’s Fabio Escobar, a fighter carrying a 2-1-0 record.
For the upcoming fight set for 27 Feb. at Grand Old House, Hurlston noted that his manager and coach, Ryan Barrett, handled the selection of Fuentes entirely.
Reflecting on his mental and emotional state leading up to this fight, a confident Hurlston said, “Mentally, I feel sharp and confident as always. I have no doubts in myself. I truly believe that you reap what you sow, and I always make sure to put the hard work in – both in training and in sparring, so that I can execute when it matters most on fight night.”
While some athletes might struggle with the transition from the temperate climates of Europe to the Caribbean’s intense tropical humidity, Hurlston personally views the move as beneficial.
“I’m really looking forward to being back home in the hot weather. Training and living in a hotter climate will be a big benefit for my camps and overall preparation. As a heavyweight, weight cuts aren’t an issue, but I do have a specific weight I like to fight at, and I don’t expect to have any problems maintaining that while I’m at home,” he said.
The pressure of performing in front of a home crowd – consisting of family, friends, and neighbours – might be daunting for some, but Hurlston views it as fuel.
“There’s pressure in every single fight, but I’m always composed and focused. Fighting in front of my home crowd will give me even more drive, regardless of the pressure, because I know the energy from [them] will push me to perform at my best,” he said.
With a resilient mindset, he added, “After boxing as an amateur around England and parts of Europe without any hometown or family support, and with the noise of the opposition’s crowd behind me most of the time, I learned to thrive in those environments, and it never stopped me from executing the plan.”
For Hurlston, preparation for the February clash has been ongoing as he keeps himself in ready mode.
“One of the key rules in boxing is that you must always be ready, and that’s how I live. I’m in the gym every single day because opportunities can come at any time.
“When a fight does come, a training camp isn’t about starting from scratch – it’s about increasing the intensity and pace, sharpening specific areas, and bringing myself into peak shape for fight night, with more frequent sparring. The work is constant,” he said.
