It's time to get selfish

I ended all the speculation on Saturday when I signed a three-year contract with Dennis Hobson at the Stadium of Light.

I've explained my reasons in an interview in Monday's Journal and I've also had a few things to say about the ABA! But that's all behind me now and I'm looking to the future.

Dennis is an excellent promoter with a good track record and I'm confident he'll give me everything I need to make a good career in professional boxing. Now the rest is up to me.

Although I've done a little bit of training since I got back from China, the months since have been a bit of a "holiday" for me. I've been doing lots of things for charity and appearing at all sort of functions but now it's time for me to get a bit more selfish.

My first fight is probably going to be in Houghton-le-Spring in February and I'm delighted with that for two main reasons. First, it means I'll be able to fight in front of my home fans to say thank you to all of you who have given me such great support over the years and in 2008 in particular. And it also means I've got something to train for. I've had lots of things to take my mind off the training side since I got back but now I can focus again. It's been a well deserved break because I haven't had one at all for a long time.

My diary's still got lots of things I need to do but once that's cleared I'm going to have to knock things back. I've tried to do as much as I can since the Olympics, I've done loads of stuff for charity. But now I've got to think about myself.

It's a new chapter in my life what with my fiancee, Sarah, getting pregnant the previous week, and I've also set up a new boxing label - Total Boxing.

I've spoken to a lot of former boxers about it ever since I got back from Beijing and there hasn't been a single one who didn't say I should turn professional. I really do think my style will suit the pro game but I also know there's a few things I will have to learn.

Audley Harrison turned pro after the 2000 Games and Amir Kahn after 2008 and I will try to learn from their mistakes.
Audley rang me just before I flew out to our Olympic holding camp and gave me some good advice. He's got my number but I haven't got his so if you're reading this Audley, feel free to get in touch again!

Stepping up to the professional game will be a learning curve for me, so I won't be fighting the likes of my new Fight Academy stablemate Clinton Woods just yet. But hopefully we should be able to line up a good fight for February and when we do I'm hoping the tickets sell really quickly.