He may have had his last dance on Strictly Come Dancing, after waltzing out of the series but, as Anthony Ogogo tells GEORGE RYAN,new challenges now lie ahead.

After being knocked out of the Strictly ballroom, boxer Anthony Ogogo has said his focus now is on being the best middleweight boxer in the country.

The boxer from Lowestoft was in the bottom two of the leaderboard after performing a paso doble to Eye Of The Tiger from the film Rocky with his dance partner Oti Mabuse.

He was joined by celebrity chef Ainsley Harriet and the judges chose to keep the former Ready Steady Cook host in the competition.

Anthony, 26, said: 'I'm really disappointed but I'm not surprised. I was half expecting it.

'It's sad that it's coming to an end and I made some amazing mates along the way. It's a shame I could not get a few more weeks in.'

He said that despite his early departure, he had an amazing experience and it was something he would always remember.

'I could not have been in the final two with a nicer man.

'Ainsley is such a happy and cheery guy. I wish everyone all the best for the rest of the show.' After Sunday's show, Anthony challenged Strictly judges Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel Horwood to a boxing match after some of their negative comments about his performances.

'I did work very hard and put a lot of hours in but it was never going to be the pinnacle of my career.

'I'm still recovering from a really bad shoulder injury.

'I was wearing a sling all the time during training and have only had a full range of movement in my arm for two weeks.

'It was merely a distraction while I couldn't compete in boxing. If I hadn't I would have spent six weeks sulking on the sofa.'

Undefeated in his professional boxing career, Anthony said his aim now was to recover from his injury and get back in the ring.

'Boxing is what I love doing and what I wake up for. My focus is now on being the best middleweight boxer this country has ever produced.

'I have been working around Strictly rehearsals to get my physio in and now my absolute priority is getting better.

'It's going to be a hard couple of months but it's part and parcel of being an athlete.'

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