World record aim as oldest boxer Steve Ward retires

The 64-year-old Nottingham heavyweight, who works as a packer at PC Station off Wigwam Lane in Hucknall, is already the record-holder but will this time have his final fight just six days before it is mandatory to retire on his 65th birthday – and he is hoping that will never be beaten.

Ward is having to slim down for his final fight – but he will be challenging for a world title as he and Romanian Adrian Parlogea – 15 years his junior – battle it out for the inaugural World Legends Boxing World Cruiserweight Championship at Mansfield Rugby Club on Friday, 6th August.

After a tough week of heavy training in a heatwave, Ward said: “Things are going great and I am feeling brilliant.

“I am really up for this fight and I have never felt so fit and strong. This guy is going to wonder what's hit him.

“I am going to train until four days before the fight. I won't cut it off gradually. I will kill it straight off.

"To have the right amount of rest is as good as having the right amount of training.

“You have got to play it properly and I don't want to leave it all in the gym. “A lot of people do that. They wonder what's wrong with them.

“They say I've done all this training and I can't understand why I'm not fit. I can – they've left it in the gym.

“That is not happening with me as I am doing it just right. I am feeling good and I am keeping it that.”

He admitted being 64 made everything tougher.

“It is harder,” he said. “The knocks you take in sparring that used to be all right by the afternoon, if you got one now in the morning it takes four or five days before they stop aching.

“You got a little bump or bang in the past and you'd laugh at it. Now you are a bit stiffer with being older.

“But you get wiser with age and that's a good thing.

“I wish I'd been this wise when I was 20. You learn to miss the punches and not just go ploughing through them.Doors open at 7pm with boxing starting at 8pm and tickets are on sale now at tickettailor.com.