Movie sets & masked reveals - Richards on being a 5v5 fighter

When Eddie Hearn phoned maine asking to beryllium connected this card, I said yes earlier moreover knowing who my force was.

It sounded almost excessively bully to beryllium true. I didn’t want to get excessively excited until I knew it was for real.

But earlier I knew it, I was successful Bulgaria filming a promo video successful nan style of a big-budget movie trailer.

I play a boxing gym cleaner who, arsenic Eddie puts it successful nan video, "cleans nan floor" pinch a combatant who disrespects me.

I fancy myself arsenic a spot of an character now. I was getting a fewer DMs from Denzel Washington asking if I could beryllium successful his adjacent film. I said "hold on, I’ve sewage a large conflict coming up, I’ll get backmost to you".

Joking aside, that is what I emotion astir this full five-versus-five paper – getting to acquisition caller things; being connected a movie set, doing nan rehearsals, nan costume changes.

I ne'er thought I’d acquisition thing for illustration that successful my career. I've been connected a batch of large shows successful nan United Kingdom, but it's conscionable a full different shot game.

In April we had nan big masked uncover astatine a news conference successful London.

Me and nan different Matchroom fighters were sitting backstage doing a spot of squad bonding. We were talking astir wanting to get nan win, nan points strategy and conscionable nan full occasion.

I had met our squad captain, Deontay Wilder, earlier and I sewage to cognize immoderate of nan different guys a spot amended erstwhile we filmed nan promo .

We had nary thought we would each beryllium wearing masks and stepping connected to nan shape until we sewage there.

I retrieve reasoning 'I dream this disguise is comfortable' because I knew I’d beryllium having to deterioration it for rather a while.

There is simply a communicative that 1 of my squad members was worried astir his hairsbreadth getting messed up pinch nan mask.

I’m not going to make immoderate remark connected who that was – I don’t want to beryllium rolling astir connected nan level pinch 1 of my team-mates.

Having spoken pinch nan different Matchroom fighters this week, we’re targeting nan cleanable sweep. I want to triumph for them and for Eddie, but I besides cognize that they can’t conflict for me.

I can’t tag personification successful if I’m getting tired successful information four. I’ve sewage a work and occupation to do and nan astir important point is to get nan triumph for my career. That’s my number 1 priority.

I messaged Eddie erstwhile I landed successful Riyadh past Friday and he replied saying "this is you now, mate, get utilized to it".

Boxing overseas has ever been connected my bucket database and, correct now, Saudi is for illustration nan caller Las Vegas.

The money is evidently awesome retired here, but I came into nan crippled to execute large things, beryllium connected large stages and to triumph gold.

A triumph connected Saturday tin lead maine towards world titles, make maine much noticeable and put my sanction successful nan chapeau for challenging for large things.

Eddie has told maine that I could alteration my life, arsenic agelong arsenic I spell retired location and do nan business. I don’t request a bigger inducement than that.

I’d ne'er watched aliases paid attraction to Willy Hutchinson. He wasn’t connected my radar aliases a sanction successful nan chapeau erstwhile I was coming done my career.

Once I recovered retired he was going to beryllium nan feline I was going to fight, I went connected YouTube and did my investigation connected him.

He won a batch arsenic an amateur and has looked bully fighting journeymen but he has already mislaid erstwhile arsenic a pro and ne'er fought personification connected my level.

So I’ll get my 2 points for nan squad pinch a knockout and past beryllium ringside to guidelines connected nan others and spot them do nan same.

Craig Richards was speaking to BBC Sport's Kal Sajad.