Superstar in the Making: Andrew Selby Set to Step into the Limelight in Cardiff

Andrew "Superstar" Selby has the potential to be Wales' greatest-ever boxer.

Such a statement may seem outlandish for a fighter who has only had four pro bouts to date, particularly as Wales has a proud tradition of producing boxers.

There was Jimmy Wilde, who won a world title at flyweight. Then came heavyweight Tommy Farr, who took the great Joe Louis 15 rounds. Featherweight Howard Winstone, meanwhile, was loved so much in his hometown of Merthyr Tydfil they built a statue to immortalise him in bronze.

More recently, Joe Calzaghe earned a place in the International Boxing Hall of Fame by compiling an unblemished 46-fight record and hogging the WBO super middleweight title for over a decade.

Lee "Lightning" Selby is the best of the current crop, yet the reigning IBF featherweight champion reckons there's a good chance he won't even end up being remembered as the best in his family.

The 29-year-old told BBC Wales (h/t BBC Sport) about his younger brother: "If Andrew trains and lives the life of a professional boxer, he could be the best Welsh boxer ever."

That statement is more than just a simple case of nepotism. Watch Andrew fight and you can see why Lee has such high hopes for his sibling.

Chris Sanigar, Andrew's promoter, told Paul Zanon of Boxing Monthly: "We’re going for the British title first, then hopefully European and world title. If that can be done in 10 fights, then so be it."

Clive Rose/Getty Images

On Saturday, when he goes up against Louis Norman (11-1-1, 2 KOs) for the vacant British flyweight belt in Cardiff, Wales, Selby has the chance to complete the first part of Sanigar's grand plan.

If he is as good as his brother suggests, a Lonsdale strap is no more than a stepping stone to bigger and better things (not that the prize introduced by Hugh Lowther, 5th Earl of Lonsdale, isn't impressive in itself).

Selby, however, has already achieved plenty with a pair of gloves on.

As an amateur, he was a two-time European champion. He also represented his country at the 2012 Olympics in London, reaching the quarter-finals before losing to Cuban Robeisy Ramirez Carranza.

Despite the lure of competing at the 2016 Olympics, Selby resisted the temptation of Rio to join his brother in the paid ranks.

After announcing his decision in September 2015, Selby's debut came the following month.

Sanigar Events threw the 27-year-old straight in at the deep end. His first three opponents all had winning records while his last foe, Brett Fidoe, had never previously been stopped in 30 fights.

It took Selby six rounds to get the job done against Fidoe, but he toyed with him at times.

In his report for Boxing Media UK, David Owen wrote: "I have never seen a boxer so relaxed and at home in the ring, switching stance at will and being as comfortable in the southpaw position as in orthodox."

Stylewise, Selby is a joy to watch.

The speed of his combinations makes him look like a Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot after a double espresso and a bowl of sugary snacks:

His weight is also a bonus for his long-term prospects.

While he is competing at flyweight next, by gaining just six pounds he can jump two divisions up to bantamweight. With flexibility over his future to go alongside his abilities in the ring, Selby has a lot going for him right now.

Yet he also knows talent will only get you so far.

Heading into the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Selby was the red-hot favourite to win gold. Instead, he never made it beyond the first hurdle, coming a cropper against Scotland's Reece McFadden.

The weight of expectation can sit heavily on a boxer's shoulders, as Selby explained to BoxingWales.com:

"

Everyone’s expecting big things from me, telling me I’m going to be a world champion in 10 fights. I’ve learned from the Olympics and Commonwealth Games to let it go in one ear and out the other now. I’m just doing what’s best for me.

I sometimes don’t have the belief when people are telling me how great I am. It’s different for me. It’s a lot of pressure but I’ve learned from before when I thought I’d win golds and took it granted. It’s always easier said than done.

"

At least Selby has seen what it takes to reach the very top.

Brother Lee has worked hard to make his way to the summit. Yet even in his current position as a world champion, he still reckons Andrew could be the real superstar in the family.

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