Nikki Bascome returned from an intense training camp in Orlando, Florida, this week raring to go ahead of his welterweight bout with Mexican Pilo Reyes at the Fairmont Southampton on Saturday.

The 24-year-old spent a week at Pichi’s Boxing Pit where he refined his technique and prepared himself for Reyes with sparring sessions with several different boxers.

It is a pre-fight ritual that Bascome has adopted for all of his professional bouts, as it allows him to fully focus on the task ahead without any on-Island distractions

“It [training] went great,” Bascome said. “Everything went according to plan and I’m in great shape and ready to do my job and show Bermuda my talent.

“I sparred with people who I have never met before and so that helps me to adapt. It was pretty intense but at the same time it got me out of my comfort zone and brings something out of me that I can’t get here.”

Asked whether he had done his homework on his opponent, Bascome replied: “I’ve seen a little bit, but not much.

“I have just been focusing on myself and I won’t really know until I get in there with him because everybody improves and you can’t go off what you see. When you’re in there with them you can feel it out.”

In Bascome’s previous bout at the Fairmont Southampton a year ago he triumphed over Canadian Kru Joe Marchand-Tipping with a unanimous points victory on the undercard of Teresa Perozzi’s loss to American Kali Reiss for the vacant IBA world middleweight title.

“It’s a confidence booster fighting in front of your own fans,” Bascome said. “It gives you that confidence knowing you have the home support.”

In his last outing against Claudele Duprier, of the United States, Bascome won by a technical knockout.

He was initially denied the win after Oscar Lightbourne, the acting commissioner, refused to sanction the bout held at Bermuda College last July after Duprier failed to make the weight required.

However, after a review the Bermuda Boxing Commission reversed the decision, much to Bascome’s satisfaction.

“It makes me proud to know that my hard work is paying off,” Bascome said.

The undercard of Saturday’s event will feature three Bermuda heavyweights Corey Boyce, of the Bermuda Muay Thai Association, Shannon Ford, of the Bermuda Sanshou Association, and Police Gym’s Stefan Dill.

Boyce will face Danyel Avram, of the MAS Academy of Martial Arts in Ontario, while Ford and Dill will meet each other in a re-match. Dill won the previous bout.

Also in action will be Robert Somner, of Controversy Gym, who will take on Police Gym’s DiAndre Burgess. Somner lost his previous bout to Omar Dill, of Rego’s Boxing Gym, a decision that left him feeling hard done by.

“I’ve built everything off that [loss],” he said. “I don’t want to leave it up to the judges this time.

“I’ve been working on my defence and it feels tight right now. I’ve been sparring with some good guys like Reyel Bowen, Corey Boyce and Tyler Christopher — iron sharpens irons.

“Hopefully the crowd comes out and gets behind the boxers.”