HE’S only 19 but new St Joseph’s pro Jordan Withers has already packed a lot into his career in boxing – and he will be hoping to celebrate another special moment tonight.

The Tony Borg-trained middleweight makes his debut in the paid code at Swansea’s LC2 with a four-rounder against Sussex journeyman Liam Griffiths (5-83-1).

This time last year, Rhondda-born Withers was recovering from a broken pelvis, an injury he sustained after falling 15 feet from a bridge while out on a training run.

With his rehab complete, the teenager left the amateur ranks earlier this year and signed a professional contract with Chris Sanigar in the summer.

Since then he has travelled with stablemates Lee Selby and Gavin Gwynne to the US for a fortnight of training in some of the world’s most famous gyms.

And now he cannot wait to get up and running in the pro game.

“I just want to enjoy it,” he said. “I can’t wait to get in there and show everyone what I can do.

“My opponent hasn’t won much so I want to show I’m levels above, and I’m looking to go as far as I can.

“Hopefully by the time I’m 23 or 24 I’ll be fighting for a British title, that’s the aim.”

Explaining his decision to turn professional, he added: “I was living in Cardiff as part of the 2022 Commonwealth Games squad, but I’d had enough of it really, it was like being in school.

“One of my mates, Rhys Edwards, had turned pro and I saw what he was doing so I decided to give it a go, and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.

“I knew about St Joseph’s and how it’s a top gym, and I knew Lee (Selby) was training here, and there’s no better place to go than where a world champion trains.

“My ability has just gone through the roof since I started at St Joseph’s in March, it’s mental how much I’ve come on.”

Five Welsh titles, a British title and two European Championships appearances as an amateur clearly show Withers has an excellent grounding in the sport.

And he acknowledges the sacrifices that have been made by those closest to him to help his bid for boxing’s big prizes.

“I’ve got a really supportive family,” he said. “My mother (Tracey) and father (Anthony) do everything for me. My father has been there since I started, and they’ve given me everything I’ve wanted.

“My mother was following me in the car when I broke my pelvis last year – lucky for me she was there.

“I went out running in the morning and stopped on a bridge and fell off it backwards. It was a freak accident.

“I was airlifted to hospital and everything. I didn’t box for 10 months and then got sent out to Turkey for my first senior tournament and drew the world number five in the second round.

“My pelvis is alright now. I haven’t got any aches and pains, it’s just like new.”

And on that trip to the US, he added: “It was awesome. I walked into one of the gyms and they were all calling me the Welsh Canelo (due to his ginger hair like legendary Mexican fighter Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez).

“It’s probably the best experience of my life, it was like a dream, going out and training alongside Lee and Gavin.

“The training was second to none and I was sparring with the best of the best.”

Withers’ St Joes stablemates Robbie Vernon, Lloyd Germain and Joshua John also feature on tonight’s Sanigar Events show.