Fletcher wins first bout

Carlie Walker | 22nd June 2009

AFTER 10 months out of the boxing ring, former Olympian Jarrod Fletcher got his professional boxing career off to the best possible start on Friday night.

Jarrod Fletcher cannot wait to get back in the ring.

Fraser Coast Chronicle

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THE wait was long - but it was well worth it.

After 10 months out of the boxing ring, Hervey Bay's former Olympian Jarrod Fletcher got his professional boxing career off to the best possible start on Friday night.

The Commonwealth Games gold medallist faced Ryan Coppick at Southport RSL on the Gold Coast in his first professional match.

He won the bout with a technical knockout in the fourth round.

“I always expected it to be a tough fight,” he said yesterday.

“But I'd done all the hard work.”

Being out of the ring for 10 months was hard on Fletcher - it was the longest he had been out of the ring since starting his boxing career.

But the lengthy time on the sidelines, which included a couple of months off while recovering from shoulder surgery, had little impact on Fletcher's ability in the ring on Friday night.

Fletcher, 25, is now looking forward to getting in the ring against his next opponent.

His next fight is to take place in Brisbane on July 31 but he is unsure who he will come up against.

He's not worried about that now - he is just enjoying his first win.

“I'm really happy with the result.

“After having shoulder surgery the pressure was on me.”

A large group of supporters travelled to the Gold Coast to see Fletcher, who competed in the Beijing Olympics last year, notch up his first professional win and he said having them there made a big difference.

“It was good to be there.”