19.04.05 – By Tony Nobbs: Nathan Sting returns to action on Friday night at the Southport RSL on the Gold Coast for the first time since September 2003. In Sting’s last outing he scored a tough twelve round points win over British champion Nicky Booth retaining the WBU title he captured by stopping veteran Johnny Armour the previous July. After the Booth fight Sting made the move to permanently base himself in England.. A decision he now calls a mistake. After sitting on the sideline throughout 2004, Sting doesn’t wish to waste any more time. When Eastside caught up to the 31 year old southpaw on Tuesday morning, he had some choice words and expressed his willingness to return to the old dart targeting one UK contender in particular: WBO number six Martin Power.
“As I’ve told you before, I don’t care who I have to fight. I will fight any bantamweight in the world as long as the money is right” he said while “chillin’ out” at his Labrador home.
“I’m at the stage in my career where I can’t muck around. This is my last hurrah. It took a long time for me to get recognised and I wasn’t able to capitalise because I couldn’t get fights. I want to get back in the ratings and get a shot. Out of all the champions (Rafael) Marquez is the best. The rest of them I don’t really rate.”
Sting’s frustration at not getting a start in England last year, despite his victories over Armour and Booth was compounded by the fact that offers were made to his Gold Coast trainer Les Wilson, with whom he had parted ways but has rejoined. While he was in England preparing for his Nottingham defence against Booth, a phone call came through for Sting to face IBF champion Rafael Marquez. Then last year a query was made in regards to Sting’s availability to fight Johnny Bredahl for the WBA title. An opportunity to fight a top rated contender in the US was also missed. Inactivity saw Sting eventually dropped from the IBF and WBA top 15.
“Unless we can get a backer I know I’ll have to go on the road again. I’d like to fight in Japan where they have a couple of guys in the ratings and one of them just won the WBC. They treat you well there also. But I will fight anywhere if I get paid.
In England, there are a lot of what we call Koala Bears. They are a protected species. I would have loved to fight Noel Wilders, but they didn’t want it and then he got beat. Then I told them ‘why don’t you let me fight Martin Power?’ They told me he wasn’t ready for me. Well they now have him in the world ratings at junior bantam but he’s been fighting at bantamweight. I’ve been inactive so why don’t they let him step up?” Sting asks.
“It’s because I scared ‘em off. They know I can go over and win away from home. Les has always called me the bantamweight Sam Soliman and I suppose he’s right. I’m now starting to realise how hard it was to get me fights at bantamweight. After being over there last year I saw it myself.
They have built Martin up. They’ve even had him knocking out the same guys two and three times! They know I would beat him, that’s why they haven’t let me near him. I used to spar him and have to go easy, carrying him. His trainer Johnny Eames knows what I’d do to him. I’d do a real number on the kid. They should just step him up. I see they have him fighting Dale Robinson – he is another one who wouldn’t fight me. If they’re serious, let him fight someone with two arms… Let’s get it on!”
One major problem Sting faces on the Gold Coast is the quantity of sparring for lighter weight professionals. “There are a few amateurs good around but most of the time I’ve gotta spar welterweights. One guy I’d like to work with is Frankie Demilo. It’d be great for both of us. Frankie is a nice boxer and like myself a southpaw. It’d be very sharp work”.
Sting said he knows “nothing” about his scheduled opponent on Friday, Nigerian Friday Fatunji Felix. In an under card six rounder which is gaining plenty of local attention, the Gold Coast’s Athen’s Olympic featherweight rep Ryan Langham makes his professional debut. The 24 year old Langham, a rangy southpaw, has benefited recently sparring world class Gairy St Clair and arrived home on Sunday from sparring WBA champion Chris John prior to his defence in Indonesia against Derek Gainer this weekend.