After six months separated his previous two fights, Elliott Matthews is eager to make up for lost time ahead of returning to the ring next month.

The Rickmansworth middleweight has experienced frustration in recent times, with a number of fights being called off and challengers proving hard to come by.

It is therefore hardly surprising Matthews is relishing the chance to once again experience the emotion of fighting, which he describes as being similar to an addiction.

“I go crazy not having a [fight] date to aim for. It’s almost like a drug and not knowing when the next score is going to come in,” he explained.

“I am looking forward to it, feeling confident in my capability and enjoying my boxing. I’m excited to get out, fight again and get another win.

“Every fight I go into with a positive attitude and put everything into it. That is why I have got it together and have a convincing record.”

That record currently stands at 19-0-1, with Matthews’ solitary draw coming after he accidentally cut his head against Raimonds Sniedze in 2013.

Victory at York Hall on July 15 would represent another positive step for the 36-year-old as he looks to continue his unbeaten record and make an impact on the sport’s upper echelons.

He is, therefore, viewing his next bout as a stepping stone to bigger things and is targeting the autumn as a prime time to step up to a bigger stage.

“The fight is mainly to give me a date to work towards because we are negotiating with some big promoters for big fights in September or October,” he said.

“Hopefully we can get some negotiations done before the summer break to give me another date to work towards.

“You don’t want to go into a big fight if you have been out of the ring for six months and it is a chance to keep my record ticking over.

“The better my record is, the bigger draw I am for people. With a record like mine I believe I could fight for a world title belt, especially if I’ve got the right promoter behind me.”

An unbeaten record brings with it a certain amount of incentive for Matthews’ opposition, with the opportunity to be the first to beat him offering a sizeable carrot.

Matthews is as aware of this as anyone, but heads into each fight confident his ability will be enough to ensure he comes out on top.

“Being an English, unbeaten, middleweight, with a 20-0 record, there are not many of us around,” he said.

“I feel confident I have the skills, focus and belief in myself to beat anyone and this fight is just a matter of keeping things ticking over.

“Every time I get in the ring the opportunity for my opponent is unbelievable if they get a win against me.

“I am always under that pressure and you are always one punch away from disaster. You have to make sure you are strong on the day and have put all the groundwork in.”

With his latest fight fast approaching, Matthews is in the midst of training camp which has seen him focus largely on improving his fitness levels.

He insists he will not step off in intensity and is leaving no stone unturned to ensure he is in the best condition possible.

Hed said: “I’ve just started sparring again and I have been working on upping my fitness and putting really hard runs in.

“In the next three weeks I will step up the sparring a lot to get my eye in and get prepared properly for the fight.”