Collins Jnr vows to return stronger

Stevie Collins Jnr aims to come back stronger than ever after a serious shoulder injury derailed his burgeoning boxing career on Saturday night.

The 23-year-old cruiserweight, son of two-weight world champion Steve, tore ligaments in his right shoulder during his fourth professional fight and is facing up to four months out of the ring, with surgery required to fix the problem. Collins, who also plays competitive rugby for London club Rosslyn Park, has been troubled by the problem for a while and it “really went” in the first round of his four-round bout against Tommy Gifford.

Despite the pain from the injury, which precluded him from throwing his right hand throughout, Collins managed to hold out for a draw, although many spectators at ringside thought he still did enough to pick up his fourth win as a professional. This week he will seek specialist advice and undergo surgery. He is unlikely to box again before June.