IT'S funny how things can sometimes work. One day you're seriously considering the possibility of boxing a close family friend for a career-high purse and, a few months later, you're making your promotional debut on his undercard instead.

Short-notice savior Josh Padley (15-1, 4 KOs) has now departed his full-time electrician job to immerse himself fully in the sport that changed his life forever last year, earning him an even bigger opportunity five months after a ten-round upset win over then-unbeaten contender Mark Chamberlain (16-0, 12 KOs).

"I knew how good I was so just had to prove everybody wrong and did," the 29-year-old from Doncaster tells The Ring.

"It was like nothing I'd ever seen before, going from small-hall boxing shows in banqueting suites and leisure centres, then you're boxing at Wembley? I know it wasn't full because of the timing [5pm local time] but the occasion and event with Joshua-Dubois... we believed in our ability with a full camp."

So after a career-best performance where he thrived as the underdog on a big bill, surely there would've been interest in his services across all angles. What happened?

"We were hoping someone would come on-board to promote me, build me as their own fighter and get behind rather than chuck me back in the deep end, never to be seen again if I lost.

I didn't get the [WBC Silver] belt but got the rankings, so had to play the game and do it [fight negotiations] the right way, if it took so long to get the Chamberlain fight, imagine me losing that night? We turned things down and that paid off."

As the matchup was contested at a 140lb catchweight, rather than lightweight, Chamberlain's WBC Silver title wasn't on the line but relinquished in defeat nonetheless, now sitting two places below No. 16-rated Padley in their 135-pound rankings, on the cusp of the divisional top-15 during March's update.

Once heralded as Turki Alalshikh's favourite fighter, the heavy-handed Portsmouth southpaw returns in an eight-round contest against Miguel Angel Scaringi (8-4, 3 KOs) as part of the Joe Joyce vs. Filip Hrgovic undercard in Manchester this weekend, keen to rebuild after losing and looking ordinary on a showcase night.

Padley meanwhile, earned plaudits aplenty with his courageous showing on four days' notice against WBC lightweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson (23-0, 11 KOs) before suffering a ninth-round stoppage defeat during the stacked Last Crescendo card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 22.

He told The Ring that WBA's No. 4-ranked contender Maxi Hughes (28-7-2, 6 KOs) and the WBC's mandatory title challenger Dalton Smith (17-0, 13 KOs) were both offered to him, though he's glad he didn't have to take the latter.

"Yeah, both were considered and offered around the same time. I've known Dalton since we were amateurs, I know his grandad and dad, we're all very close so, I know it's business but I'm sure he would've felt the same way about me. It was the best offer on the table and as we still decided what was next, the Shakur chance came and obviously, you're taking that."

Now, he and Smith aren't potential adversaries but under the same promotional banner after inking a multi-fight deal with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom stable.

He'll feature on Smith's undercard this coming Easter weekend and face a relatively unknown quantity in the fifth unbeaten opponent of his career: Serbian southpaw Marko Cvetanovic (13-0, 6 KOs), currently ranked No. 20 with the EBU.

Smith began 2025 with a thunderous first-round stoppage win over Walid Ouizza (19-3, 8 KOs) in Nottingham on January 25 to win European honors and headlines Sheffield's Park Community Arena in little over two weeks' time against Quebec's Mathieu Germain (26-2-1, 11 KOs), looking to spoil the 28-year-old's hard work and mandatory status in the process.

Newly-minted full WBC junior-welterweight titleholder Alberto Puello (24-0, 10 KOs) can have one voluntary title defence before satisfying his mandatory by year's end, having edged beyond Sandor Martin with a 12-round split decision nod on March 1.

Dalton has dealt with injuries, inactivity and fluctuating opposition quality in recent years so is he ready for that step-up? Padley doesn't think it's even a question.

"He's a very, very good fighter and like I said, I'm glad that I didn't have to box him. He's a serious talent and when he's switching people's lights off, it's hard to say he's not ready."