FRUSTRATION marred 2024 for Caoimhin Agyarko, but he hopes for a much more productive year ahead as he prepares to return to the ring in London on Sunday with an eight-round contest against Harley Collison.

The West Belfast light-middleweight did improve his record to a perfect 15 contests with a points win over Bahadur Karami at the SSE Arena in August, but he had hoped for so much more, having entered the year on a high following a career-best victory at the same venue against Troy Williamson in late 2023.

Indeed, last year’s sole opponent was a last-minute replacement for Tomi Silvennoinen, leaving Agyarko faced with an opponent who may have been limited, but held a significant size advantage which turned that contest into a slog.

There were hopes of a return to action in Waterford in December on the McKenna-Moran card, but that fell through and as he reflected on the past year, there was a sense of time wasted.

However, he is back in the ring at the York Hall on Sunday, live on DAZN, and intends to use this outing against Southampton’s Collison (3-1-2) as an opportunity to get back on track before setting his sights on bigger challenges.

“Inactive last year after a good win over Troy,” he reflected.

“I was able to get on a show back in Belfast and was hoping for one more before the end of the year. I was meant to be on the Waterford card but that fell through a couple of weeks out, so it was a disappointing year.

“That was the first time since I’ve turned pro that I’ve only had one fight (in a calendar year) which is frustrating and disappointing, but I’m back in camp with a fight date.

“It’s been a very good camp - 12 weeks - and what I needed coming off a long layoff.”

That camp has been completed under the tutelage of a new coach in Stephen Smith, a former world title challenger.

‘Swifty’ is a member of the Liverpool fighting family that includes his brothers Liam and Callum - former world champions - plus the now-retired Paul, so Agyarko has entered an environment where success has been achieved at the highest level and the 28-year-old Turf Lodge man believes it is where he needs to be to get to the top.

Previously, he had worked with another Liverpool coach in Joe McNally, but didn’t feel that was the right fit as his performances seemed to dip on occasion.

He puts that down to getting away from what had marked him out as a top prospect in the early throes of his professional career but feels he is now getting back to his old self.

“I feel like the old Caoimhin of the first year or two when I turned pro,” he reports.

“My last coaches tried to change my style slightly to slow my feet down and to be more aggressive. Credit to them - they are good coaches - but stylistically it didn’t suit me.

“Now, being with ‘Swifty’, he has made me fall in love with boxing again, re-energised me, letting me be me and just tweaking certain things. He’s a student of the game, studies boxing and appreciates skilful boxers. He doesn’t want me to just stand and trade to go for the knockout 24/7, but use my skills and talent I’ve been gifted with.

“Hopefully, I can go out on Sunday and put in a good performance to show what I’ve been working on in the gym.

“I went on a seven KO stoppage run and then didn’t stop my last five because I slightly tweaked my style to try too hard, trying to be a bit of a banger. Now, I’m back to using my feet, fast hands and explosiveness.”

On paper, Agyarko shouldn’t have too much trouble on Sunday, but fights are won by performing in the ring and he is taking nothing for granted ahead of battle.

At 28, the time to move up the ladder is now and he has ambitions to get his hands on European honours before long, while a high ranking with the WBA also leaves him just a couple of big wins away for a crack at the big one.

But for now, all eyes are on Sunday and producing the type of performance to make people sit up and take notice once again.

“I take no fighter for granted and in every single camp I try to train harder from the one before, no matter the opponent,” he stressed.

“My biggest fight to date has been Troy Williamson and I take this fight as though it’s harder. I always want to be prepared for the best version of the opponent I face.

“I should have too much for Harley Collision and will show that, but this is about getting some of the ring rust off, get some activity and then push on to the bigger fights.

“I’ve moved up to six in the WBA rankings and that’s without fighting, so when I have a bit of activity and getting the big fights, I have no doubt I will be at the very top.

“I would like to fight for the European title and keep mentioning that. Abass Baraou’s got it and is holding up the division somewhat because he is waiting for his (world) title shot, but it’s a fight I would entertain if he still has that EBU title. But this year I want a couple of big fights to get my name back out there.”