Norfolk fighter wants to step up to eight rounds

Tommy Fletcher admitted he feels ready to make the step up to eight-round fights after he took his professional record to 8-0 with a victory by points decision against Viktar Chvarkou.The 22-year-old ex-Attleborough Boxing Club star won 60-54 at York Hall, Bethnal Green, against the 38-year-old heavyweight from Poland, in a six-round bout on the undercard of Denzel Bentley and Danny Dignum’s WBO International Middleweight title fight.The Hockwold cum Wilton-based boxer – known as ‘The Norfolk Nightmare’ – could not add to the six knockouts he has to his name, but remained untroubled throughout the fight, in which he felt he gained a lot of experience.“I feel good. It was a good learning fight,” he said, speaking to Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions YouTube channel after his victory broadcast live on TNT Sports.“I sat down with my team, I said this would be my last six (round fight), I want to move on to eight rounds.“So what more of a perfect learning fight to get the rounds in and get some experience and learning for pushing onto bigger and better things.”Both fighters weighed 92.5kg but Fletcher dominated the bout, exercising his powerful southpaw jab from the first round against his opponent. Chvarkou showed resilience to stay in the fight but a good last round from Fletcher, in which he landed a left uppercut, earned him his eighth victory of his professional career.Despite the win, Fletcher was still critical of his latest success. He said: “It was still a poor, poor performance from myself, I’ve still got a lot more to give. I must say, it wasn’t my best performance at all and of course, everyone wants to see a knockout and that didn’t come.“I’m my biggest critic, I want to win every round, I want to knock them out, I want to keep winning titles so that will be a good learning fight going forward. “He was a lumpy fella, a big old boy, so I think it was better to get a good sturdy opponent.“He wasn’t dangerous, he never hurt me once, he didn’t hit me too much. I didn’t take too many shots.“I will be back bigger, better and stronger.”