Across the UK there are thousands of boxers who have fallen into financial trouble. You can’t expect all fighters to have a head for numbers like me (BSC Honors in Mathematics). That’s why I’m launching an exciting new project which will be unveiled by Summer this year.

If you are helpless and need help to solve your bad credit, you might have already looked around. There are loads of scams online promising to get rid of your bad debt, but instead of doing that, they will further damage your credit rating. You are looking for a solution that is going to get you fast results, will not cost you an arm and a leg, and will use proven methods

The first agency you would be looking at is the Citizens Advice Bureau. They are a busy charity, and with the increasing number of people looking for free bad debt help, it might be hard to get an appointment. You will also have to book an initial review before you can get to see a trained and experienced debt advisor to help you get rid of your bad credit.

You have to know that there are plenty of ways to get rid of bad debt. Some of them are going to tie you to an agreement for at least five years, like an IVA.

In some cases there is no other solution but this one or bankruptcy. Depending on your personal circumstances an experienced debt advisor will be able to find the most suitable options for you.

You can also get in touch with the National Debt Helpline. They are the most reputable charity when it comes to bad debt. They are able to evaluate your situation on the phone and give you some useful free advice. They will not do the work for you or fill out your application form.

If you have been struggling with bad debt for a while, it is just about time to do something about it. The above free charities are able to help you with taking out consolidation loans, arranging IVAs and bankruptcy. You will also be explained the consequences of each solution.

If you find that going through a free charity to solve your bad credit debt is taking too long, you can also contact some companies for a free evaluation. You can fill out the free debt test to see what are the solutions available for you to consolidate your finances and eliminate bad debt. 

Recently I spoke to my former sparring partner and now business owner, Michael Hass of No Hassle Mobile Phones (a firm you will hear me talking a lot more about soon) who told me that former boxers should not get too concerned with their ‘credit score’ or just assuming they have bad credit.

In the UK there are three main credit reference agencies and they all offer you a credit score – based on different metrics. Yet it’s just a loose view of what a typical lender may think and not a true score or indication of acceptance.

In reality, every lender scores you differently based on their own definition of what is a profitable customer. The only use for Credit files is to check and make sure they are correct before any big application.

Michael Hass

Nathan Cleverly will face Andrzej Fonfara at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago on Friday October 16, live on Sky Sports in the UK and Spike in the US.

Cleverly is back up at Light Heavyweight having faced bitter foe Tony Bellew at Cruiserweight in November, and the Welshman is looking to rule the World for a second time in the division in his third fight on US soil.

Standing in his way of making inroads in the 175lbs division once more is Polish-born Chicago fan-favourite Fonfara, who fights at UIC Pavilion for the 14^th time in his career and is fresh off a stunning performance against former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in April of this year.

With Cleverly’s status as a former World ruler and Fonfara’s stock rising with his impressive performance against Chavez, both men will be gunning for a World title shot if they land the win.

“I’m excited to return to my hometown of Chicago on this big fight night against a world class fighter like Nathan Cleverly,” said Fonfara. “This will be a tough fight for both of us. Cleverly is a solid fighter and it’s no fluke that he was a World Champion and that he defended his belt so many times. Our fighting styles guarantee that everyone can expect fireworks on October 16. I want this fight to be a quick stop on my way to a rematch with Adonis Stevenson.”

“This is a major platform for me to prove that I am more than capable of becoming World Champion again,” said Cleverly. “If I beat Fonfara it’s a doorway fight to the world title and establishing myself as one of the best light heavyweights once again. Fonfara is a good fighter. He’s tall, has power and has moved up through the levels in his career. I am looking forward to coming over to Chicago and I am very confident that our styles will blend well for a really exciting fight.

“Spike has been the home to some of boxing’s most exciting bouts of 2015 including Marco Huck vs. Krzysztof Glowacki and Andre Berto vs. Josesito Lopez,” said Jon Slusser, Senior Vice President, Sports, Spike. “We feel this trend will continue as Andrzej Fonfara vs. Nathan Cleverly is an equally matched fight that will bring a ton of action.”

Nathan Cleverly is set to face Andrzej Fonfara in a huge Light Heavyweight showdown this autumn, live on Sky Sports.

Former WBO World champion Cleverly stepped back down to 175lbs in London in May after spending 2014 at Cruiserweight, and can take a major step in becoming a two-time Light Heavyweight ruler by beating the Chicago-based Pole in an explosive looking contest.

Fonfara produced fireworks in April by stopping Julio Cesar Chavez Jr inside nine rounds in California to land the WBC International title, and Cleverly’s promoter Eddie Hearn says the fight will be confirmed soon after the Welshman’s team chose to face Fonfara after being inundated with potential foes.

“We have had lots of big fight offers come in from Nathan over the past few months and we have taken our time to choose the right one,” said Hearn. “The Juergen Braehmer fight was one we were very close to taking but just felt that after his big win against Chavez, Fonfara was the perfect fight on the World stage. We are working with his team on the date expected to be in October and we will release news shortly.”

Former world champion Nathan Cleverly (28-1, 14KO) came in a career heaviest at an ill tempered weigh-in with his nemesis Tony Bellew (22-2-1, 14KO).

The Welshman was 14st 3lbs and a trimmer than usual Bellew also came in at 14st 3lbs ahead of tomorrow’s WBO world title eliminator at Liverpool’s Echo Arena, live on Sky Box Office.

The rivals met at Liverpool’s St George’s Hall and there was a heavy security presence to keep them separated, in front of hundreds of fans. Bellew concluded the weigh-in by throttling blow up sheep dolls and doing the throat slit gesture.

It is not the first time that Bellew has been heated at a weigh-in, having head butted Cleverly and Adonis Stevenson prior to his two failed world title bids at light-heavyweight.

It’s followed a heated week where Bellew has branded Cleverly as a recovering alcoholic, while the Welshman had no idea where the accusation came from and labelled it as the latest instalment of Bellew’s desperate bullying tactics.

Nathan Cleverly (28-1, 14KO) and Tony Bellew (22-2-1, 14KO) came face-to-face at the final press conference before their rematch at Liverpool’s Echo Arena on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

The tension was simmering under the surface as Bellew ignored Cleverly by wearing headphones, before later slapping Cleverly’s hand when he was told that the Welshman would make it 2-0, following his win over Bellew in 2011.