As well as getting used to an entirely different way of life and learning what goes on between the ropes of a professional ring, lots of youngsters also must learn how to attract fans outside it.

Liverpool's Stephen Clarke has been able to concentrate on learning his craft. The 24-year-old middleweight has always been able to move tickets.

"To be honest, since when I used to do Thai when I was like 8 or 9," Clarke (10-0, 2 KOs) told The Ring.

"Obviously, I had a big family as well as friends from my Mum and Dad so always brought loads to the shows. It’s been good."

With a national amateur title and a large fanbase, Clarke has the ideal grounding for a long, successful career.

He turned professional in January 2024 and racked up nine consecutive wins, barely losing a round in the process.

Things continued going to plan until the fourth round of his recent fight with Mexico’s Luis Montelongo Morales.

With the fight well in hand, Clarke was dropped by a sudden right hand. He got up, survived, recomposed himself and boxed his way to an eight round win.

Boxing is a fickle sport and the slightest mishap or mistake is regularly used to put a ceiling on a fighter’s potential but leaning to deal with adversity is crucial for any fighter aspiring to reach the top.

Clarke has spent a lot of time thinking about the knockdown and although never wanting to find himself on the canvas, he is smart and mature enough to have realised there's plenty to take from it.

“I was obviously gutted with what happened but still got the win, showed that I've got heart and can carry on if circumstances like that happen,” he said.

"God forbid it happens again but if it does happen in a big title fight, I've been there before so I know what to do.

“I think it's going to be a good experience for me going forward and that is going to do me more good than just getting him out of there in the first couple of rounds.”

These days, even the youngest prospects are constantly pestered about what they want to do next or which champion they are targeting.

Fortunately, Clarke spends his days around the famous Smith brothers who, between them, have seen and done everything there is to do in the sport.

Clarke is trained by Stephen, managed by Paul and brushes shoulders with former world champions, Callum and Liam.

The Smith family aren’t the type to mollycoddle and protect a fighter they are working with but neither will they allow them to be taken advantage of or pushed ahead of schedule. Clarke can work every day safe knowing that the men in charge of his future know exactly what they are doing and will move him forward when the time is right.

“Yeah, 100 per cent. To have both of them guiding me in my career, they’ve been there and done it,” Clarke said.

"The family is well known in boxing. There’s nothing they haven't experienced anything in the game, so having them guiding me at the right time, it's perfect. I couldn't ask for a better team to guide me.

“Obviously, it's up to Paul and ‘Swifty’ but I want to push on to bigger fights, tougher fights now. Hopefully get a Central Area title by the end of the year, early next year, and then push on for titles next year, 100 per cent.”