Sam Eggington was made redundant from his job as a forklift driver at a Steel plant in England at 17 years of age.
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With few other options, the Birmingham product turned to boxing to make a living. He set out to be a journeyman boxer, fighting week-to-week for cash.
But when he kept winning, his journey ultimately took him not just from venue to venue, but to the heights of professional boxing.
Eleven years on from parking a forklift for the last time, the 28-year-old is in Newcastle to defend his IBO super-welterweight title.
He is fighting Dennis Hogan in a co-main event bout on No Limit Boxing's 20-fight card at Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Saturday.
Hogan is the Irishman who lost to Tim Tszyu at the same venue last year. He has had two wins since that loss and at 37, is having one last crack at landing a world title.
Eggington, who is defending his belt away from home for the first time, knows very little about his opponent.
"I don't train for a certain fighter," he said. "I try and better what I do well. I don't know his record, I haven't watched him - I know he has challenged for a couple of world titles. I've watched about 40 seconds of him."
Eggington, boasting a record of 32 wins (18 KO) from 39 fights, only arrived in Australia last week and has been training in Bondi.
He will be out to claim his fifth consecutive win on Saturday in the 12-round fight, the last of the night.
He and Hogan showed plenty of respect for each other at Thursday's press conference, but Hogan, who lives in Queensland, is hoping to steal his belt to finally become a world-champion.
The veteran boxer has challenged for the WBO light-middleweight and WBC middleweight titles before, but lost on both occasions to Jaime Munguia and Jermall Charlo respectively.
Hogan (30 wins, four losses, one draw), who last fought in March beating Gunnedah's Wade Ryan, said he was putting it all on the line against Eggington.
"The last 12 years as a professional all comes down to Saturday," he said. "I've either ticked that box or I haven't. I've put in the best camp I think I could have possibly put in. I think that performance will show."
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