Nathaniel Collins had a fantastic start to last year. Holding both the British and Commonwealth featherweight titles, the Scottish boxer further triumphed by securing the EBU Silver title in May with a points victory against Francesco Grandelli of Italy. This victory provided him a platform to showcase his skills to a national audience as part of a major televised boxing event. As the mandatory challenger for the European belt, and with his popularity and momentum growing, the possibility of competing for a world title was becoming increasingly real.
However, life took an unexpected turn. Just ten days after his most significant win, Collins` career was abruptly halted. He was rushed to the hospital suffering from severe abdominal pain and underwent emergency surgery to remove gastric adhesions, leading to a prolonged and challenging recovery.
Collins mentioned that the doctors, aware of his profession, initially prohibited any training, including weightlifting. Gradually, he was allowed to run and eventually resume training, but the entire process was lengthy.
Upon intensifying his training, it became clear that a badly deviated septum, a result of a blow from Grandelli in their fight, was hindering his complete recovery. Collins humorously recounted realizing the severity of the injury when he saw the expressions on his partner Anna and his brother`s faces after the fight.
Surgery to correct his septum was performed in October, and Collins found this second recovery phase even more difficult, describing weeks of intense pain. Returning to the gym was painful initially, but it gradually improved. Now, his nose feels as it did before the injury.
With his comeback fight scheduled in Glasgow this weekend on February 14th, Collins hopes to regain his momentum in 2025.
He remains the mandatory challenger for the EBU title, currently held by Cristobal Lorente, and believes that defeating the Spanish champion will pave the way for a world title shot. With four recognized world champions in his sights, Nick Ball`s name is the first that comes to mind.
Collins expressed his long-held belief that a fight with WBA champion Nick Ball is inevitable. He questions the relevance of Ball`s fight against TJ Doheny, suggesting that had his health not intervened last year, he would have been facing Ball himself.
However, considering the timing of Stephen Fulton`s WBC title win against Brandon Figueroa on February 1st, Collins also sees a potential fight with Fulton. He has always dreamed of fighting in America, specifically in Las Vegas or Madison Square Garden.
While his ambitions are grand, Collins` primary motivation is to secure financial stability for his partner Anna and their daughter Izzie, aiming to pay off their house and alleviate financial stress.
Before pursuing these top goals, Collins must first navigate his return fight on February 14th in Glasgow against an opponent yet to be named, who is described as having “a decent record.”
Characteristically unconcerned about his opponents, Collins is not overly worried about who he will face. He playfully refers to the fight date as “The St Valentine`s Day massacre!” and expresses confidence in his ability to adapt to any opponent and secure victory.
Only time will reveal what this year holds for Collins, but maintaining his optimistic outlook, he views even the Grandelli fight, where his injuries began, positively.
Collins reflects that fighting through a broken nose against Grandelli, despite breathing difficulties from the third round, has shown him his resilience. He acknowledges that he will face tougher opponents but believes he will never endure a more challenging fight.
With a European title within reach, we might see another British boxer competing at the highest levels of the sport later this year.
