Lance Gostelow is Australia’s number one light welterweight boxer and is ranked in the top 10 in the world. A regular fighter at the home of boxing at Shed 14 in Docklands, Lance gave 3008 an insight into what it takes to make it to the top as he sets his sights on the World Boxing Federation title.

Five of your last seven fights were held at Docklands is this your home ground and what are the advantages of the location for you as a boxer?
I would definitely call Docklands my home ground, for me personally it is so central it only takes about ten minutes to get there from home and there are so many benefits of fighting in one location rather than travelling around, you can get yourself into a routine.

How do you prepare for an upcoming bout?
For around three weeks leading up to a fight I am very strict about my diet and of course hard training. One week before a fight, my focus becomes more mental and I do lighter physical training. I work on the mental preparation of the fight and thinking about my strategy, I’ll watch videos of my opponent and work out my plan and hope it all works out on fight night.

How do you recover after a fight?
After a 12 round match, I take a week off and spend time with my wife and family and literally just veg out. We’ll often go out to nice restaurants and enjoy good food without limitations and I also take a break from training. There is a lot of mental pressure that comes with boxing and you need time to rest, recover and relax.

Who inspires you in the boxing world?
I followed my brother into boxing at a young age but on a world scale I would have to say Oscar De La Hoya is a hero for me. I admire him and I relate to him as our boxing style is quite similar. In my era, Oscar is up there with
the heroes of boxing.

How do you prepare to step into the ring with an opponent that has beaten you before?
Every fight is different and there is no result until the fight has been fought. You keep focussed on your strategy and you do what you need to do to be fight ready, what has happened in the past has no bearing on the next fight. We also see sports psychologists, so you move beyond all that.

You’ve been a professional boxer for over six years – what’s next for Lance Gostelow?
I’m rated number one in Australia in my weight division, I have recently won the WBO Oriental and African Titles and I am just waiting for the call to fight and win the World Title!

The boxing is held at Peninsula
- Shed 14 Central Pier Docklands