A boxer is launching his professional debut after signing with same the manager as Nicola Adams.

Lightweight Henri Potter, from Gorleston, will step into the ring at London's York Hall, widely hailed as the spiritual home of boxing, on Saturday October 9 after being signed by Steve Goodwin.

The 24-year-old first entered the boxing gym at the age of 11, losing his first four fights and making his achievement all the more remarkable.

"I went there in the first place because I was being bullied at school," he said.

"I had really bad asthma and was terrible to start with.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Henri Potter from Gorleston is limbering up for his first professional fight.Henri Potter from Gorleston is limbering up for his first professional fight. (Image: supplied by Henri Potter)

"I lost my first fight and my second got stopped after 30 seconds because I was getting absolutely hammered."

"But I stuck with it and ended up getting really fit."

The following year he made it to the national schoolboy finals, winning ten out of 11 fights, a silver medal, and emerging as a talent to be reckoned with.

He has since had 60 amateur fights and has boxed in Spain and Sweden, and for England.

The transition to being professional meant learning the ropes across all aspects of the business.

To prepare he is training three times a day with a renewed focus on nutrition as every sinew is honed to be fighting fit.

He credits his success with a mix of talent, hard work and "having a good chin".

He has never been knocked out.

Looking ahead he said he was nervous, but was using the energy to stoke the fire to fight

"I had that many amateur fights that I never got nervous," he said. "And that was one of the reasons I wanted to turn professional."

It means taking some time off work as a labourer for BJW Developments and that his partner Jade Wilsea, and their two-year-old son Theo have to come on the journey with him giving snacks and takeaways a wide-berth and fitting in with his training routines.

At York Hall he will face a "journeyman" with 120 professional fights under his belt and he hopes it will be an easy first win.

Potter, who boxes out of Kingfisher gym in Gorleston said he had a good team around him including Andy and Marty Grey, both former professionals.

He joins another Yarmouth boxer Mikie Webber-Kane in turning pro this year.

To book tickets for the fight call 07747 866650.