Anthony Ogogo: I'm so eager to impress

Undefeated prospect Anthony Ogogo (7-0, 4 KO's) will be returning to the ring after a one year layoff tomorrow night when he takes on Ruslan Schelev (11-3, 6 KO's) on the Abraham-Stieglitz undercard. Ogogo was on the fast track since turning professional in April of 2013 tallying up 7 wins in just over 11 months before suffering an achilles injury. Now after being out of the ring for 12 months Ogogo is looking to get back at it.

"I wanted the very best opponent available for my return," said Ogogo. "I didn't want an easy opponent. I wanted someone who would really test me. I've worked so hard to condense a 12-month rehab process into six months, so I wanted an opponent with the right quality to give me a hard fight because that's what I've longed for, and that's exactly what Schelev is. He's a quality fighter. He can switch stance. He's strong and he can punch. It's going to make for a great fight for the fans."

"July 18 can't come quick enough. After such a long lay-off it means everything to me to be back in the ring," continues Ogogo. "I wake up in the morning wanting to be a world champion. For the longest time I couldn't do anything about it physically. I couldn't train. My feet were in casts, but I never stopped thinking about being the absolute best. I watched sports documentaries of my idols and I read autobiographies of my heroes until I was able to get back in the gym. Now I'm back and on July 18 I'll show the world that I have what it takes to become a great."

"I'm in great shape, but I resigned myself to never being able to run again because of my injuries," says Ogogo. "But everything has gone so well, much better than I could have ever imagined. I've been able to run five miles easy and there's not even a twinge in my Achilles. My fitness is good. My speed is where it needs to be and sparring has been going brilliantly. I've been sparring with my Team Sauerland friend George Groves ahead of his own world title fight."

"Now I can't wait to get in the ring, in front of a whole new audience and a whole new demographic of people," Ogogo adds. "I'm so eager to impress; I can't explain. The fans can expect to see a young, hungry fighter, full of desire and ambition ready to set the world alight and make up for lost time. The fans in Halle are in for a treat. I'll be welcoming thousands of new members into the O-Army."