The weird world of... Sunderland

I'm starting to feel settled in Manchester, where I train from Monday to Friday. My work with Bobby Rimmer is going really well and I'm feeling comfortable working with him. I've got my own flat in Manchester right next to the gym and I'm starting to know my way about which, as regular readers will know, has been a problem in the past.

But Sunderland is and always will be my home.

The last time I fought there, though - against Roy Meissner in May - it never even felt like I was fighting because it was so long since I'd last done it. I'd got used to staying in hotels the night before a fight so it was weird staying in my own bed in my own house, seeing my mum and dad on the morning of my fight, going to the local place where I usually have my dinner and walking around the city centre where I grew up.

I think it helps because when you're away from home sometimes you find yourself sitting in your room thinking about your fight. You can put doubts in your mind that way. When you're at home you've got other things to think about and it helps you to relax. And of course the noise when I walked to the ring at the Crowtree Leisure Centre is something I will remember forever.

With the way the schedule is, it looks like fighting at the Stadium of Light might have to wait until 2010. I'm at Seaburn on July 10, so by the time my next fight comes along the football season will be underway again. I don't mind so much, though.

It's something I really want to do at some point but it wouldn't be so good if I fought there and it wasn't full. When they've set the stage up there for boxing in the past the capacity has been about 6,000. It would be a pity to hold a fight there and there only be, say, 3,000 fans in the place.

My promoter, Frank Maloney, might be waiting to build my profile up a bit more before I fight there, and that's fine by me.

As I mentioned in my last blog, it was a frustrating time waiting to find out when and where my next fight would be when all I wanted to do was get back into the ring.

After my last fight I was told I would probably next be in the ring on June 30, so that was the date I'd always had in mind. I had about ten days off before getting back into training. But then the date was then changed to July 18, then 24th and finally the 10th.

In the end I got just over three weeks' notice of my new date. In terms of preparation time, that's perfect. I had 11lb to lose in that time and it shouldn't be a problem.