Josh Wale admits not being able to fight heading into the final years of his career is a ‘nightmare’ situation but believes he still has some big nights ahead of him.

The 32-year-old former British champion from Brampton was hoping to fight in a world title eliminator this year but has been restricted to just training during the coronavirus crisis.

Some televised boxing shows have taken place over the last several months behind-closed-doors but Wale’s contests rely on a paying crowd.

He has had 44 professional fights and won the last four to put himself in a strong position in the featherweight division.

Wale – who has been a professional for 14 years this week – said: “I have had a great career but I just know I could have really pushed on in my last few years and got a world title fight.

“It’s been a nightmare for this to happen at this stage of my career. I think I still have a couple of really big nights left in me before I retire. There isn’t really anything on the horizon for a fight.

“Things can change quickly in boxing. If I am going to fight this year, it will be in December but it has to be something that whets my appetite. With how things are and at this stage of my career, I don’t really want to have ‘ticking over’ fights, which is probably all they would be at the moment.

“This could have been a massive year for me but we could never have predicted what was going to happen. But it has happened so we just have to get on with it. My promoter Dennis Hobson is putting on the first ever drive-through boxing show in this country. He might put some more on so maybe I will fight on one of them.”

Wale has moved his amateur club Micky’s Athletic to his home village of Brampton. He says the business is going well but is disappointed that amateur boxing has not been allowed to resume.

He said: “I have been in there most of the day. We have done a lot of fitness classes and personal training and I have an amateur boxing club as well. We have to limit the numbers and keep people safe, and you have to book an appointment. But hopefully in the future it can grow.

“All competitions for the amateurs have been cancelled until January at the earliest. They have been forgotten about. A lot clubs have shut down so this generation of kids are missing out. It’s bad for them.

“Junior football is being played so why not boxing?”