BOXING star Edward Hardy balances haymakers and hay bales.
The 22-year-old competes in his first professional bout against Engel Gomez tonight in Sheffield.
Yorkshire-born Hardy has risen through the amateur ranks and is a two-time national champion.
And the secret to the fighter’s success is his work on the family farm.
The super bantamweight is a fourth generation farmer and has been nicknamed “The Farm Boy” – even having the slogan written on his shorts.
His barn doubles up as a gym and a place to keep all his machinery, with Hardy confident that he punches above his weight due to his efforts on the land.
He told the BBC: “It keeps me fit when I am going round the yard.
“I’m working, I’m busy and active so it gives me that physical strength over an opponent who is just training.”
But despite launching his pro career, Hardy has no plans to ditch his double life, saying: “I want to be a professional boxer and work my way up to the top, winning many titles.
“But I also want to keep farming as well because I enjoy it, it is my passion and I have been brought up with it. Hopefully I can keep it working side-by-side.”
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His father James got him into boxing at the age of eight and he calls Ricky Hatton his biggest inspiration.
Hardy gets a few hours off his shift every day to head to Sheffield‘s Steel City Gym or to use the makeshift one on the farm.
He revealed: “We have got a pull-up bar in one of the sheds, a rope dangling from one of the ceilings and a few old tyres to do my strength and conditioning – they weigh a bit.
“I’ll be doing a job, pull off for a few sets of pull-ups, then carry on.”
Hardy has turned pro after missing out on a place at the Paris Olympics with Team GB.
DANIEL DUBOIS annihilated Anthony Joshua’s dream of becoming a three-time world heavyweight champion, writes Wally Downes Jr.
Joshua was floored FOUR times as Dubois landed an astonishing fifth-round knockout in front of a record 96,000 Wembley crowd and millions of TV viewers to retain his IBF belt.
AJ, 34, never recovered after being downed in the first round of last night’s Battle of Britain showdown as a huge Dubois right-hand haymaker caught him flush on the chin.
Here’s what they said after the fight:
DANIEL DUBOIS
“Are you not entertained? I’m a gladiator, a warrior to the bitter end. This is the biggest win of my career. I couldn’t let this opportunity go and now I want to go to the top level of this game.
“I’ve been on a roller-coaster ride and this is my time. I’m not gonna stop until I reach my full potential.”
ANTHONY JOSHUA
“As p***ed off as I am, it is what it is.
“I had a sharp, fast opponent and there were a lot of mistakes from me. Credit to my opponent and his team.
“We rolled the dice and came up short. You know I’m p***ed but I’m going to keep cool and give respect to my opponent.”
FRANK WARREN (DUBOIS’ PROMOTER)
“It was a phenomenal fight, like Hagler v Hearns.
“A brilliant fight and everybody has seen a champion’s performance tonight.
“Daniel has shown his courage, his skills.
“AJ caught him with a shot towards the end and I was worried, but what a fabulous, fantastic fight.”
EDDIE HEARN (AJ’S PROMOTER)
“AJ shipped a huge right hand in the first round and was fighting on heart.
“He hurt Daniel at the end of the fourth and then again in the fifth, but got greedy and walked on to a right hand and that’s all she wrote.
“I’m sure Anthony will exercise the rematch clause.”
