Nikki Bascome has the potential to go far in his chosen sport, according to former professional middleweight boxer Troy Darrell.

However, to fulfil that potential, Darrell says it is vital for the welterweight to further his development overseas, sparring and fighting with fighters his equal or better on a frequent basis.

“I think Nikki can get in the top ten in the world and possibly fight for a title but at the same time he’s not going to do it here,” said Darrell, who left Bermuda in his prime to advance his career.

“Nikki really can’t open up on these guys down here so he needs to get in some intense and steady sparring everyday.

“Lots of times I’ve seen him spar here he’s had to tell guys to ‘come back’. He can’t really let himself go because if he does then he will have no sparring partners and in order to let yourself go you need to be sparring with fighters just as good as you or just above you.

“A lot of your battles are in the gym and that’s where you want to make all of your mistakes so when you get into a fight it’s nothing new to you. It is just like going sparring but you have a different approach.

“If I would have stayed here I would have never gone as far as I did because my wars were in the gym. That’s were I learnt the ropes, and if a guy dropped me then I had to come back the next day and face him again, and overnight I’m thinking to myself how am I going to get around this guy.

“That’s what gets you ready for more elite fighters and I also feel he needs to be fighting at least three times a year.”

Bascome impressed at last weekend’s Extreme Entertainment Knock Out Night at Bermuda College Gym where he recorded a third-round knockout victory over a considerably heavier Claudele Duprier of the United States.

It was a display that Darrell gave the thumbs up.

“I think Nikki did quite well,” Darrell said. “His movement and timing was good and I was impressed with that.

“When the fight started he [Duprier] was rushing in and Nikki wasn’t there for him. Nikki just wanted to feel this guy out and once he did he started banging. He let the guy come to him and made him pay for his mistakes.”

While he was impressed with Bascome’s display, Darrell noted flaws which a more seasoned opponent might have exploited.

“There were a few technical things I thought he could have done different,” Darrell said.

“He was reaching at certain times and I thought his guard should have been tighter, which is important because your defence is one of the most important things in boxing.”