Changing styles into a pressure fighter after time out of the ring

[matty_mop123]

Hi all this is my first post here so i will try to be as detailed as possible so hopefully someone will be able to help.

Basically i have boxed amatuer for 2 years having 7 bouts, but the last year and a half i have been out of the ring due to a fractured knuckle ( i hit about average maybe a bit more, but caught someone funny sparring ) Have recently gone back due to a sponsorship deal i have been offered so thats the motivation for training and wanting to do well!
When i used to box i was always the taller guy, but since then i have gained some muscle and stayed at around 5'10" which now makes me the shorter guy

As of this i got used to boxing on the backfoot, now i am back down a club i am trying to change into a pressure fighter so i can get close enough to land something rather then be stuck on the end of them jabs (see why people get annoyed with them now )

I have been doing pads for 2hours a week with my boss (former pro boxer) and he has helped me on pads working how i need to but in sparring i struggle to put it into practice.

So what tips would people give to someone who is a pressure fighter on how to do his 'job' properly

All help appreciated.

EDIT: Also i am now 18 so when i go back to boxing i will now be a senior (if that makes any difference)

[greynotsoold]

The key getting close and landing punches is making the other guy miss his. Jake LaMotta, his opponents said, was easy to hit with jabs, hard to hit with anything else: he'd give you the jab to get you to throw something to counter off of. Other guys will try to take away the jab, make a guy afraid to throw it because then they can walk right up on him. So I would suggest three things.
First, get real good at gauging distance. That way you can stay just out of punching range, not getting hit, and move in by slipping a jab, parrying, etc...throw your punches and get out. Watch Ruben Olivares fight tall guys and see what he does. Constant pressure without getting hit needlessly.
Second, develope top flight defensive skills. Never ever put your gloves around your head because you can't punch while he is punching your gloves. Learn to slip jabs, to parry jabs, to draw and slip right hands. And learn to counter everytime you do. That is how you get inside without eating punches and get to land clean punches of your own. In practicing this do yourself a favor: Learn the slip and the initial counter perfectly before you start trying to make the move and throw a bunch of punches. That will screw you.
Third, worry more about your feet than your hands. Messed up footwork will make it impossible for you to close distance quickly, much less to punch effectively when and while you do so.
Last, if anybody is telling you to put your gloves up and march forward, get rid of that individual. Pressing a fight, being effective and avoiding punches is an art, more so, in my opinion, than skipping around the ring and slap fighting. Learn your defense and footwork.