Reigning English Champion Scott Lawton has warned John Murray not to take him for granted ahead of Saturday nights British title showdown at the Robin Park Arena in Wigan. Lawton will challenge for Murray’s Lonsdale belt in the main event on Hennessy Sports “Rule Britannia” event which is live on ITV4 from 8pm. Murray claims his focus hasn’t been distracted by talk of a big fight Stateside with Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz or the prospect of another British title defence against former European champ Jon Thaxton in what would be a major domestic showdown..
However Lawton is adamant that he’s ready to capitalise on any slip ups from the champion tomorrow night. “Knowing that those other fights could be out there for him probably will be a distraction for him so I have to use that to my advantage,” said Lawton. “I know John and he’s a good pro so I’m sure he’s not looking past me but maybe in the back of his mind it could have an impact. There’s a lot at stake for him and he’s the favourite so all the pressure will be on him.”
Lawton failed in a previous bid to win the British title when he was defeated by then champion Jon Thaxton back in 2007 but he’s determined to make amends this weekend.
“I missed out the first time around so I’m even more determined now to get my hands on a Lonsdale belt. I’m looking at it as the biggest fight of my life. To win that British title would be a dream come true for me and it’s a chance that I never thought would come again.
“I’m coming into this fight as the underdog and that’s the way I like it. There’s no pressure on me at all. I’m in the best form of my career and I’m coming into this fight very, very confident. I’ve sparred John and know all about him so we’ve come up with a game plan and I know if I stick to that then I can become British Champion.”
The chief support on Saturday night features a Battle of Champions as Central Area Lightweight Champ Nadeem Siddique takes on reigning Southern Area Welterweight titleholder Tom Glover over 10 rounds.
The card also features a host of exciting prospects including Canadian based puncher, Andrew Singh Kooner, rising featherweight star Steve “Super Bad” Barnes, welterweight Phill Fury and the pro debuts of Bobby “Boogaloo” Ward, the last Englishman to defeat Amir Khan and Sheffield heavyweight, Richard Towers.
Tickets are available from the Ticketline box office on 0844 888 4402 or via www.ticketline.co.uk.
MOORE AND MUNROE ON BRINK OF WORLD GLORY
FTM stable stars Jamie Moore and Rendall Munroe are set to earn WBC title fights next year.
The pair were celebrating last night after the Mexico City based governing body gave them impressive world rankings in their latest ratings.
European light-middleweight champion Moore is rated third in their rankings for the 11st crown currently held by Argentina’s Sergio Martinez.
Leicester dustman Munroe has gone one better and is number two for the 8st 10lb title which is worn by Japan’s Toshiaki Nishioka.
The fighters promoter Frank Maloney will now lead a delegation to the WBC convention in Jeju, South Korea in November and lobby for both fighters to become mandatory contenders.
Maloney said: “Both fighters are in a great position to get themselves world title fights in the next 12 months.
“It could be possible for the current champion to make voluntaries particularly Martinez, but I feel sure both fighters can earn mandatory status.”
Southpaw Munroe, 28, has made three successful defences of the European super-bantamweight title and recently became Commonwealth champion.
Moore, 30, is injury free for the first time in years and that showed when he captured the Euro championship with a third round stoppage of former world champion Michele Piccirillo earlier this year.
“Boogaloo” Ward – I Khan be a Champion
Bobby “Boogaloo” Ward will take his first steps into professional boxing on Saturday night when he makes his pro debut on the Hennessy Sports “Rule Britannia” event at the Robin Park Arena in Wigan.
Ward, the last English fighter to beat Amir Khan will feature in a four round bout on the undercard to John Murray’s second defence of his British Lightweight title against Scott Lawton.
The event is live on ITV4 from 8pm and Ward is hopeful that he can be in the mix for the British Lightweight title himself in the not too distant future.
The 22-year-old takes his ring moniker from 1970’s Philadelphia middleweight Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts, the first man to defeat Marvelous Marvin Hagler, and he believes he can go on to achieve big things in the pro game having rediscovered his hunger for boxing after a 5 year break from the sport.
“I got married and had a couple of kids so I had to provide for them and amateur boxing is great but it doesn’t put food on the table” revealed Ward who represented the Dagenham and Repton clubs as an amateur. “I come from a big boxing family and my two younger brothers are doing very well in the amateurs. Martin is on the Team GB squad and a big medal prospect for London 2012 and John is winning all around him as well.
“Seeing them do so well motivated me to come back and have a go at the pro game. I think the break has actually helped me because I’m really enjoying my boxing now again.”
Ward of course enjoyed his own highly successful amateur career in which he won a host of titles, one of which came at the expenses of Amir Khan. “I fought Khan twice in the amateurs,” recalled Ward. “The first time was on a club show and I didn’t really know too much about him and took him lightly but then we met again in an English Schoolboy final in 2000 and I beat him on points.
“I was ready for him the second time around because I knew how good he was then. We both stopped all our opponents on the way to the final so there was a lot of interest in that one. That was a good year for me because I travelled over to Dublin and won an Irish title that year as well. My family were always back and forth so it was great to win titles in England and Ireland.
“Obviously people are going to talk about the Amir Khan fights for now but that was a long time ago and obviously I’ll be looking to make my own name in the pro ranks.”
Ward will look to make that name under the guidance of top trainer Tony Sims at his gym in Hainault. Ward has already studied the progress of Sims’ star pupil, Darren Barker and he says he’s taken inspiration from training alongside the unbeaten Commonwealth Middleweight Champion.
“Watching Darren in the gym shows you the standard you need to get to if you want to be a success in the pros,” said Ward. “Guys like Darren might have an awful lot of ability but they work harder than everyone else as well and that’s why they are as successful as they are and that’s something I’ve seen for myself at the gym.
“I just want to take it one fight at a time for now, I’ll start out at lightweight although I might even make super featherweight eventually so with Khan going up in weight and me moving down I don’t think we’ll ever have a decider in the pro’s but I suppose you never know because boxing’s a funny old game.”
Ward features on this Saturday’s “Rule Britannia” card at the Robin Park Arena in Wigan. The main event sees British Lightweight Champion John Murray put his Lonsdale belt on the line against reigning English Champion Scott Lawton while the chief support bout features a Battle of Champions with Southern Area champ Tom Glover clashing with Central Area title holder Nadeem Siddique in a scheduled 10 rounder.
The card also features a host of exciting prospects including Canadian based puncher, Andrew Singh Kooner, rising featherweight star Steve “Super Bad” Barnes, welterweight Phill Fury and the pro debuts of Ward and Sheffield heavyweight, Richard Towers.
Tickets are available from the Ticketline box office on 0844 888 4402 or via www.ticketline.co.uk.