Michael Parsons is pleased to be back in the ring again after a frustrating couple of years.

After turning professional three years ago, Parsons expected to see more action but has competed in only two fights since, suffering a unanimous points defeat to Daniel Roach in his professional debut at the Fairmont Southampton in January 2020 and securing his maiden victory with a unanimous points decision over Jamaican Gregory Miller at The Shed in October.

Between those fights, Parson had three bouts cancelled after his opponents failed to show and that has proven a bitter pill for Parsons to 
swallow.

“Myself and Andre Lambe turned professional at the same time and he’s going onto his seventh fight,” Parsons lamented. “I am actually supposed to have the same amount of fights but obviously my opponent has not shown up to the last three fights before the one that I won.

“I was preparing myself in three-month camps; sacrificing myself, working hard away from my son and family and the opponent does not show up. Then having to do these exhibitions and stuff like that, it can become frustrating. “That’s probably why I am in the space that I am in now, meaning that I am not too concerned about people worrying about my fight because basically everything is built up for Andre. To me it’s just another fight for me. “It may sound bitter but that’s just the frustration of wanting to have way more fights than I have actually had.

“A lot of people probably looking from the outside would not really understand from my standpoint in a sense of the hard training; the eight-mile run and work behind closed doors.

“People just see when you actually get in the ring, they don’t see the actual work that you put in before the fight.

“I just feel that I have put a lot of hard training, a lot of sacrifice into my professional career and if you ask me honestly I don’t think I see myself fighting more in the next two to three years, that is just me just being realistic.”

Parsons, who came in at 157-pounds at last night’s weigh-in, is set to go toe-to-toe with Puerto Rican Zeleck Ruiz (159 pounds) in a four-round middleweight clash on the undercard of Lambe’s fight with Mexican Crisanto Lucio for the vacant American Boxing Organisation welterweight title at The Shed tonight.

“This time around I just want to go out there and do what I have to do,” Parsons added. “I am just looking forward to putting on a show and entertaining the people.

“My fighter is coming obviously to win as any fighter should be thinking.

“I just hope everything goes smooth and we all come out with a victory.

“I hope Adrian [Roach], Andre, myself and even all of the amateurs that compete among themselves give a good show for the public that come to support us as always.”

Southpaw Lambe, who weighed in at 147 pounds, one pound heavier than his opponent, is gunning for a second title having captured the vacant American Boxing Federation welterweight belt last October and is unbeaten in six professional fights to date.

Orthodox fighter Lucio, who is three years younger than his Bermudian opponent, has also yet to taste defeat in the five bouts since he moved into the paid ranks.