Entering an adult workplace as a 16-year-old can be an intimidating prospect. 

A few unfortunate teenagers are quickly lost after spending their first few months in employment carrying a broom and a list of lunches to get from the shop.

Those who are brought along properly are kept busy from day one. The key is to keep them engaged with safe, confidence building jobs which won’t cost a fortune to start over when the inevitable mistakes happen. Regardless of age, those who can show a natural aptitude for the work can quickly be trusted with more responsibility. 

Aloys Junior, 7-1 (7 KOs), had a tougher apprenticeship than most. 

A couple of months after a blow out of Japan’s Kyotaro Fujimoto, a red hot Daniel Dubois was moving around in the back room at the famous - and missed - old Peacock gym in East London. After a few rounds, a big, heavy Eastern European jumped out of the ring and in stepped a talented 16-year-old amateur called ‘AJ’.

After four rounds with the current IBF heavyweight champion, Junior was tired but happy. He looked and sounded much older than his 16 years and all but wished away the two years he needed to wait before he could fight as a professional. 

“It seems like a lifetime ago,” Junior told BoxingScene. “I was a kid and I became a man. I learned life lessons. I learned how to articulate myself. I’m a totally different fighter but I’m a totally different person now.”

Junior was as good as his word. He was 18 years old when he made a rash professional debut on just five hours notice - losing an exciting four round decision to the excellent Polish cruiserweight, Michal Soczynski - but is now beginning to make serious waves.

Now 21, Junior fights Germany’s unbeaten Oronzo Birardi, 8-0 (6 KOs), in an intriguing looking cruiserweight fight this weekend and is reaping the rewards of those early days.

“I learned a lot of patience from sparring those guys. I learned patience from my first fight,” he said. “It’s a life lesson. To this day, I’m still working on my patience. It isn’t perfect yet. But I learned so much from that time. When you’re in there with big punchers, you have to be patient. One mistake, one inaccuracy, one blunder. It’s a wrap. You’ve got to be aware.

“As time goes on I’ve become more patient. When you lack patience you make mistakes. I have to keep building on things. I have to become more intelligent and grow every single day.”

Junior’s nickname is ‘The Animal’ but it is a moniker that he is quickly outgrowing. He is maturing into a genuine predator.

He is too physically imposing and aggressive to lurk in the shadows, waiting for his opponent to display the smallest sign of weakness before snatching them up and dragging them away. His trainer, Ben Davison, is teaching him to become dangerously adept at hiding in plain sight, however. Stalking, setting traps and walking opponents into trouble. Junior certainly isn’t the type of fighter you want to be revealing any hint of vulnerability to.

The most impressive part of his development is that he is still only scratching the surface of how to lay ambushes. The innate instinct to cut loose and utilize his physical gifts is becoming easier and easier to fight.

“It’s an instinct that you have to control because naturally I just want to let it go,” he said. “That’s where patience and stillness comes in. You have to have the stillness to know that the shot will come later on but you have to be patient. Keep feeling the shot that you’re doing right now and then change it later on. Establish and change. Patience is a necessity.”

Junior is currently in love with the sport. He spends his days mixing with the great and the good in the gym. He has the backing of a major promoter who is keeping him busy and stepping him up and consistently stepping him up in level. At this stage in his career, Junior probably doesn’t even sigh too loudly when the time comes to pack up his running shoes and head off to a sprint session. 

Most importantly, however, he is being rewarded for his efforts. Junior can see and feel himself improving. 

“I love the whole process. I love getting better,” he said. “If my coach tells me something is wrong, the next spar I do amazing. It’s on my mind, but when I come in it’s like the mistake never even existed. That’s what I love about the sport. I love getting better and better.”