Shakiel Thompson may be the mystery man of the British middleweight division but the unbeaten 28-year-old’s manager, Kevin Maree, believes that the time has arrived for him to show exactly what he is capable of.

Last week, Queensberry announced that they had signed Sheffield-born Thompson (15-0, 11 KOs) to a promotional deal. It is believed that he may make his debut for his new backers at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena on December 13.

The show is scheduled to be topped by a heavyweight double bill featuring contenders Moses Itauma and Derek Chisora in separate fights.

Thompson boxed on major Matchroom, Queensberry and Boxxer undercards earlier in his career but has really found his feet during an 18-month spell spent fighting on GBM shows. He is now ranked at No. 6 with the IBF and No. 11 with the WBO and Maree can’t wait to unleash him.

“I don't over promote and I don't talk nonsense - no one can accuse me of that - so when I say to somebody, 'This kid is world class, he’s very special' I'm always right and they always go on and do mega, mega things,” Maree told The Ring.

“I told everyone about Callum Simpson after only a couple of fights when I signed him and I did the same with Shakiel Thompson

“He's six feet three inches tall. A monster middleweight southpaw who not can not only box but can knock you out with both hands. He's a phenomenon.”

Maree likes his fighters to serve a thorough apprenticeship and tick a number of boxes so that when they do reach the big stage, they can be confident and capable of handling whatever comes their way.

Many managers would have pushed Thompson into the spotlight after he destroyed River Wilson-Bent inside three rounds in September of last year.

Instead, Maree bided his time and waited for the ideal opportunity to strike. That intervening period has given Thompson an extra twelve months to knock some sharp corners off his game.

So far, Thompson - who has stopped his last five opponents - has combined his boxing career with a full time job working in the offices of a manufacturing company.

Rather than holding him back, Maree believes the demanding schedule has suited the dedicated Thompson so far but he is counting down the days until he can let a full-time Thompson loose on the 160 pound division.

“We've been adding behind the scenes and just bubbling away and all the foundations have been put in place. He's now ready to go,” Maree said.

“He's incredibly responsible and Shak is a very simple character. He doesn't do anything extravagant. He doesn't go out partying. He lives for his family.

“Every single day on his instagram, you’ll see he's out sprinting at six o’clock. Then he'll go to work and he'll do his job and then he'll go straight from his job to the gym and then he'll go home to his girls and that's his life. He doesn't want any different. He's made this promise to his family that this sacrifice is going to be worth it and I don't think I really have spoken to anyone with such steely determination.

“My God, I wouldn't want to be the person who fights Shakiel Thompson after him being full time.”

Whilst some managers and advisors became very vocal and visible players in their fighter’s careers, Maree quietly gets on with his job.

The hugely popular European, British and Commonwealth super middle champion, Callum Simpson, is his most high profile fighter but he has spent time and effort quietly building a stable and accumulating champions.

Over the past four years, Maree’s fighters have collected over 40 titles.

As well as being an almost constant presence on arena shows around the country, barely a week goes by without one of Maree’s fighters cropping up at a small hall show.

Just last weekend he staged another of his own regular cards. Former English junior lightweight champion, Josh Holmes (17-0, 6 KOs), returned after a frustrating 11-month absence and the undefeated 30-year-old could well be the next of Maree’s stable to make a serious impact on the national stage.

“It doesn't change anything for me,” he said about his recent high profile successes.

“You'll still see me at weekend in the corner of my away fighters. I still enjoy that that side of things but we’ve worked hard for this. It was always going to happen because we're just right in what we do.”.

“I don't over talk, I don't do many interviews. I’ve probably got the biggest stable in the country but no one knows who I am by face and that's because we do things for the right reasons and that's where we get the success.

“When I sign these fighters, I meet with them before I sign them to see if they meet what I want to put my heart and soul into and if they’re who I want to go to bat for and that we can have a good team.”