Lucas Roehrig likes to be in charge of his own destiny.

The unbeaten cruiserweight was a teenage basketball player but became addicted to the unique thrill and sense of accomplishment that boxing provides and started to spend more time in the gym than on the court.

“I think any sport I've ever played, that feeling of winning or losing and the emotions are nowhere near the same as you get from boxing,” Roehrig (4-0, 2 KOs) told The Ring.

“Boxing is a beautiful sport in that way and that's why the feeling of winning a basketball game don't compare to winning a boxing match.

“The more physical sport was definitely in tune to my personality and how I am.

“It's great where everything is on you. You have your team, your corner man, your coach but in that ring, boxing represents life in a way. It's all on you and the effort you put in will show.”

Roehrig may be the one who climbs between the ropes and takes the punches but it takes a team to get him there.

The 22-year-old Londoner is trained and managed by former super middleweight world champion, George Groves, and recently signed a promotional deal with Wasserman.

The past six months have provided Roehrig with a crash course introduction to life as a professional

Before making his debut, Roehrig gave The Ring and IBF cruiserweight champion, Jai Opetaia, some good work and the fearsome Australian was so impressed that he requested Roehrig fly out to Saudi Arabia for some more rounds just before Christmas.

Boxing for four different promoters has given him an inside look at the way the sport works at the lower end and he has racked up four consecutive wins. On Saturday, he makes his official Wasserman debut.

Roehrig has been caught in a whirlwind but the deal gives him time to breathe. He can now concentrate on working on his game, safe in the knowledge that Groves and Wasserman will keep him busy and move him properly.

“There's a lot of pro fighters who always have a cloud hanging over their head. When am I going to next fight? They’re always chasing, chasing, chasing,” he said.

“We have this deal with Wasserman now where we have two fights guaranteed for the summer. That just gives me that relief where I can just put my head down, train, focus, have some rest after my fights and then get straight back to it

“I've enjoyed it a lot,” he said about his early impressions of life as a professional. “It's definitely not easy. The training sessions are hard and fast.

“You've got to make sure your recovery is on point. You can't have distractions outside in your life because it will get overwhelming and affect your performance.

“I’ve realised that this is definitely what I want to be. I have a great trainer and great people around me. We’re staying active and getting my name out there. We’re having fights against tough opposition and slowly, slowly, hopefully we'll break through.”

Groves was heavy handed and brave but the former WBA super middleweight champion was also a smart, shrewd operator both in and out of the ring.

During the early stages of his own career Groves took some calculated risks. He boxed the hard-hitting Paul Samuels in just his third fight and took on the vastly experienced Ghanian, Charles Adamu, in his ninth outing.

Groves developed into a headliner quickly and training for hard fights from the very start of his career helped prepare him for the mental and physical challenges that come with such a role.

He has opened up his old playbook.

Rather than putting Roehrig into a one-sided soft debut, Groves elected on a different approach and matched him with two-time English light heavyweight champion, Joel McIntyre last December. Roehrig justified his faith, cutting McIntyre and forcing him to retire after three rounds.

“George has that confidence in me and in my ability and I think that will pay dividends later on down the line. When I do have even more of a step up, I won't be a fish out of water,” he said.

“You see it all the time with fighters where they'll just fight guys with losing records and tomato cans and then they'll jump in with someone who's really trying to take their head off and they freeze up. It’s a shock to them.

“So, for me, it will definitely pay dividends when I'm fighting for titles and against higher opposition than I already am.

“He talks to me about everything. Even for my debut he said 'We’ve got Joel McIntyre here, a two-time English champion but I think it'd be a perfect debut for you to make a statement.'

“He gave me other names but said it was up to me. I said that if he thought that was the right choice, that's what we'd go with.

“That's how it's been for my career. I definitely think the way he's handling my career as a coach and a manager is perfect. Once I get to a dozen-plus fights, that will show.”

Like Groves, Roehrig is a product of Dale Youth ABC. Groves has remained a regular visitor to his old amateur club and he began to take notice as Roehrig improved. Eventually, he realised that the youngster had too much potential to let pass by and decided to throw himself back into the daily grind of life in the gym.

It will take Groves some time to establish himself and settle on his own method but it sounds like the same qualities that made him so successful as a fighter will also form a major part of his training style.

“He's very calculated and he's very clever. Even today in sparring, it got to rounds 9 and 10 and I was making mistakes like going over my front foot, I got back to the corner and he's very firm,” Roehrig said.

“He don't sugarcoat nothing and will tell you how it is and that's what you need from a boxing coach.

“If you're continually doing the wrong thing and making excuses for yourself, you're going to get hurt so you do need that firmness. He gets serious.

“He doesn't need to blow nothing into my head so it's just the honest truth and that's why he's a perfect coach.”