LUKE Watkins is looking forward to having a little extra turkey this Christmas.

The Swindon cruiserweight has enjoyed a stellar start to his professional boxing career and with no fight until February, Watkins is determined to take advantage of the festive season.

“Don’t get me wrong I’m not going to go crazy, but if I want to have an extra piggy in blanket this Christmas then I’m not going to worry about it,” Watkins said.

“For the last five years I haven’t really celebrated my birthday because I’ve always been in training and that’s cool.

“I’m not always going to be able to get the opportunity to have a little time off over Christmas so I’m going to make the most of it.”

Watkins says that he will leave the six-round contests behind in the new year.

“I’m still training hard, there is no just ticking over,” the Duke added. “I’m fighting in February somewhere and it will be over the eight rounds.”

Watkins’ trainer Fitzpatrick says that they will look to push the cruiserweight on in the new year.

But with Watkins’ town 200lb rival and Southern Area champion Lawrence Bennett now managed to Leighton Buzzard-based Steve Goodwin an all-Swindon showdown in unlikely to happen in the spring.

“(Duke) will rest up for February and he we be on the same (training) programme as Garv (Kelly) and right now he is doing his strength and power programme a couple of times a week,” Fitzpatrick said.

“He is coming in doing two days where we do little bit mitts, a little bit of loose work nothing too heavy because next year will be a very high pressure year for Duke because there are less men in the division so you move him on a little quicker.”