Former British super welterweight champion Scott Fitzgerald is preparing for another attempt to reignite his professional boxing career, revealing that his prison license is set to officially expire this month. The undefeated fighter from Preston has returned to gym training and is setting his sights on securing reinstatement from boxing authorities after years of severe personal and legal difficulties that repeatedly derailed a once-promising journey in the sport.
Fitzgerald, who turns 35 in December, appeared healthy and composed during a recent YouTube interview published by VIP Boxing Promotions. The former champion expressed a clear intent to make the absolute most of what will likely be his final opportunity to climb back to the upper echelons of professional boxing. Having been out of active competition for more than five years following a brief outing in 2021, the fighter outlined his immediate timeline for a prospective ring return.
“Get my license back by the end of this year and then look to go early next year and have a few good years at it,” Fitzgerald said during the interview, making clear his desire to close out his athletic career on his own terms.
The announcement comes just months after Fitzgerald briefly resurfaced in August before fading back out of the public eye. His decision to publicize his training progress signals a renewed effort to clear the regulatory hurdles that currently stand between him and a professional ring return.
Scott Fitzgerald’s Latest Comeback
Throughout his professional journey, Fitzgerald’s natural boxing talent has never been in question. However, persistent issues outside the ring have continually hindered his ability to sustain momentum and fulfill the potential that marked his early career.
Despite his lengthy absences, the 34-year-old remains undefeated in professional competition with a perfect record of 15 victories and no losses. His career reached its absolute peak during a sensational campaign in 2019, a year in which he cemented his reputation as one of the finest domestic talents in the super welterweight division.
During that memorable year, Fitzgerald secured high-profile victories over top-tier British opposition, defeating bitter rival Anthony Fowler before claiming a hard-fought victory against Ted Cheeseman. The win over Cheeseman earned Fitzgerald the prestigious British super welterweight championship, putting him on the fast track toward potential world title contention and international stardom.
However, the momentum built during his title-winning campaign quickly stalled. Circumstances outside the squared circle prevented Fitzgerald from capitalizing on his championship success. Following his 2019 triumphs, he was sidelined for an extended period, eventually making a lone appearance in April 2021 against French opponent Gregory Trenel. Fitzgerald secured the victory, maintaining his flawless record, but he has not stepped into a professional ring for a fight since that night.
Reflecting on his prolonged physical hiatus from top-level competition, Fitzgerald offered a pragmatic perspective on his age and the state of his body as he prepares for a potential comeback.
“I’m a pretty fresh 34 because, you know, I’ve not done much damage in fights,” Fitzgerald pointed out, suggesting that his extended absence from punishment inside the ring could work to his advantage as he looks to stage a late-career surge.
The fighter’s outside-the-ring troubles reached a critical point in 2023 when he faced serious legal consequences. Fitzgerald was handed a prison sentence after pleading guilty to a charge of grievous bodily harm (GBH). The conviction stemmed from a violent incident that took place outside a pub in his hometown of Preston. The custodial sentence effectively placed his sporting career on complete hold while he served his time and subsequently transitioned onto a conditional license upon release.
Another False Dawn
For those who have followed Fitzgerald’s career closely, the prospect of a comeback is met with both anticipation and cautious realism. The fighter’s path has been marred by multiple attempts to rebuild his life and career, many of which ultimately failed to materialise inside the ring.
In previous years, Fitzgerald sought to overcome his well-documented personal struggles through rehabilitation, emerging with plans to resurrect his career. However, those initial efforts were followed by further periods of inactivity. A heavily discussed comeback proposed for 2024 also fell apart before a fight could be officially finalized or staged, adding to a string of false starts that have left fans and pundits questioning whether he would ever fight professionally again.
Whether this latest attempt will yield a sustained ring return or become another false dawn remains to be seen. Known to boxing fans by his moniker "The Mad Man," Fitzgerald stands just weeks away from his 35th birthday. Having surrendered nearly five years of his athletic prime to inactivity, legal troubles, and personal battles, he is acutely aware that the window to make a meaningful run at a world title is rapidly closing.
The talent that propelled him past world-class domestic rivals like Fowler and Cheeseman demonstrated what Fitzgerald was capable of accomplishing when fully focused on his craft. Yet, converting that innate ability back into active competition requires far more than mere physical preparation in the gym.
Fitzgerald now faces a significant regulatory hurdle. While the formal conclusion of his prison license this month removes a major legal boundary, it does not automatically guarantee his return to professional boxing. His ability to fight again hinges entirely on receiving formal sanctioning from the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC).
The Board maintains strict governance over licensing, taking into account a fighter’s physical health, mental well-being, legal history, and period of inactivity before granting permission to compete. Obtaining clearance from the BBBofC will require Fitzgerald to satisfy all administrative, medical, and disciplinary standards set by the governing body.
For a fighter who once stood on the brink of global stardom after winning the British title in 2019, failing to translate this latest training camp into an actual fight would mark a tragic and disappointing end to a career defined as much by unfulfilled promise as by undefeated success. Fitzgerald’s immediate goal remains clear: secure his boxing license before the calendar turns to the new year, step into the ring in early next year, and attempt to write a final, successful chapter in a turbulent boxing legacy.
