Bobby Faulkner: “I would love to be that fighter who causes a few upsets as the away fighter.”

Bobby Faulkner: “I would love to be that fighter who causes a few upsets as the away fighter.”

Boxing is full of hidden gems. Fighters that should be seen. But they aren’t. Talent that is suppressed at the expense of someone with a bigger social media following. Bobby Faulkner is one such fighter. An unbeaten super-welterweight that wants a shot against a home fighter.

Faulkner has been referenced as British boxing’s best-kept secret. “I hear that all the time,” Faulkner told me over Zoom. “I’d rather not be a secret; I want to start earning some coin soon.”

After turning professional in 2022 with a four-round points win over MJ Hall, Faulkner has now amassed an unblemished resume. Ten fights. Ten wins. The Anthony Crolla-trained prospect has gone under the radar somewhat, but at least for now, Faulkner seems happy with his progress.

“I don’t mind the journey I am on, to be honest,” Faulkner told me. “Taking it a bit slower. I actually prefer it. A lot of these fighters get thrown in at the deep end too early, and sometimes, it can ruin their careers. I’d sooner go at a steadier pace.”

Faulkner was once a promising footballer. A midfielder who had spells as a schoolboy with Oldham Athletic and Blackburn Rovers. It was a knockabout in a friend’s living room that was a catalyst for his entry into boxing.

“One of my mates was an amateur boxer,” Faulkner says of that initial taste of his now favoured sport. “I was about 10, and he was a couple of years older than me. I went to his house, and we used to fight in his living room. He said I should come to the gym because I would be good at it. I said I would think about it. I preferred football at the time. I didn’t know it at the time, but my dad was a massive boxing fan, and he said to go and try it. I ended up going, and it went from there.”

Once football was left behind, Faulkner was progressing quite nicely as an amateur. Representing his country. Two National titles. But when he was 17, after sixty amateur fights, Faulkner walked away.

“I got fed up with making weight and stuff,” Faulkner says of why he left boxing behind. “At the time, all my mates were going out, and I just thought I would have a couple of months off and just go out and see what it’s all about. I got sucked into this mad lifestyle, thinking it’s the best thing ever. I got to about 20, I think it was during Covid, and I started to think, what am I up to? I needed to get back in the gym, and when I did, everyone used to ask me why I was not boxing anymore. I used to say I can’t be arsed. Eventually, I just thought I needed to grow up and give it a go. I did burn myself out a bit, but I had too long out.”

After an extended hiatus, Faulkner will make his return to action in October on a VIP Promotions card. A fighter already thinking of what lies ahead. “I would love to go in somewhere as the way fighter and test myself against some of the lads who fight on the big promotions. I think I am more than good enough. I would love to be that fighter who causes a few upsets as the away fighter.”

There is no bold talk of world titles. A refreshing change from the usual false bravado. Level-headed and a sensible realism, Bobby Faulkner has one simple aim. “I would love to be a British Champion, and that would do me. I would be happy with that.”