I’LL BE GOING HOME WITH THE BRITISH TITLE SAYS WILLIAMSON

Trojan’ primed for Cheeseman test
Troy Williamson is determined to prove that he is the number one 154lbs fighter in the country when he takes on two-time British Super-Welterweight Champion Ted Cheeseman for the Lord Lonsdale Challenge Belt at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool this Saturday October 9, live worldwide on DAZN

‘Trojan’ (16-0-1, 12 KOs) landed his shot at the famous belt by stopping Scotland’s Kieran Smith in six rounds of their Final Eliminator at York Hall earlier this year, and the chiselled 30-year-old from Darlington believes that a win over Cheeseman will place him at the top the stacked 154lbs division. 

Williamson, who spent two years with the Team GB set up in Sheffield during his amateur days, concedes that Cheeseman has the upper hand in terms of the level or previous opponents faced, but insists that this won’t matter when the bell rings and he takes on his toughest challenge to date.

“I’ve been saying for years that I deserve the chance to be involved in these big fights,” said Williamson. “I’ve told everyone that I’m good enough and this is my chance to prove it. I believe that I’m the best 154lbs fighter in the division. 

“I’ve been offered some big fights in the past and I’ve accepted them all. It’s just unfortunate that some of them never happened for whatever reason. As soon as the Ted Cheeseman fight got mentioned I accepted it because he’s a warrior. 

“This Saturday we’re getting down to business. Ted is a great two-time British Champion. That says it all. He’s the number one fighter in the division. You can’t deny that. I just know what I possess and what I’m going to bring on the night. I’ll be going home with the British Title. 

“We’ve had a similar number of fights; I think he’s had one or two more fights than me. I’ve not had it the easy way. I’ve had it tough when I had to sell tickets myself on these small hall shows. I’ve not had no bums just to knock over. I’ve come through the hard way and it will show on the night that experience won’t matter.

“You’re going to see the best of me on Saturday. The better the opponent, the better version of Troy Williamson you’ll see. Ted Cheeseman is the biggest fight of my career and he’s probably the best fighter I’ve boxed in my career. It’s going to be a cracker, there’s going to be fireworks. 
 
“I carry power in both hands. If I hit anyone on the chin at 11st in 10oz gloves I’m going to hurt them. If the stoppage comes it comes. We both like to have a tear up, we’re both fit and both very tough. I’m not one to backdown from a fight. When the big fights come I’ll always take them and so will Ted.”

Cheeseman vs. Williamson is part of a stacked night of action in Liverpool, former WBO Super-Welterweight Word Champion Liam Smith (29-3-1, 16 KOs) meets 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Rio 2016 Olympian Anthony Fowler (15-1, 12 KOs) in a massive all-Liverpool clash for local bragging rights, WBA Bantamweight World Champion Shannon Courtenay (7-1, 3 KOs) defends her crown for the first time against the USA’s Jamie Mitchell (6-0-2, 4 KOs), Northampton’s Kieron Conway (16-2-1, 3 KOs) looks to bounce back from his loss to Souleymane Cissokho on the Canelo vs. Saunders undercard when he meets James Metcalf (21-1, 13 KOs), decorated amateur star Peter McGrail makes his highly anticipated professional debut against Ed Harrison (2-8), Tony Bellew-managed Lightweight Luke Willis (10-0, 1 KO) clashes with Norwich’s Rylan Charlton (6-1-1, 3 KOs), two-time World Title challenger Natasha Jonas (9-2-1, 7 KOs) returns after her thrilling fight with Katie Taylor in May, Birmingham Heavyweight hope Solomon Dacres (2-0, 1 KO) steps up against the experienced Kamil Sokolowski (10-22-2, 4 KOs) in just his third fight, Wigan Lightweight Rhiannon Dixon (3-0) fights for the second time this year and Blane Hyland (4-1) meets Santiago San Eusebio (3-1-2, 2 KOs) in a four round Super-Flyweight contest. 
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THIS IS THE LAST HURDLE FOR ME AT BRITISH LEVEL SAYS CHEESEMAN

‘The Big Cheese’ clashes with Williamson in Liverpool
Ted Cheeseman hopes to push on from domestic level should he successfully defend his British Super-Welterweight Title against Darlington’s Troy Williamson on the stacked Liam Smith vs. Anthony Fowler card at the M&S Bank Arena Liverpool a week on Saturday, live worldwide on DAZN

Cheeseman (17-2-1, 10 KOs) recaptured the 154lbs Lord Lonsdale Challenge Belt with a brilliant eleventh round knockout of the previously unbeaten Liverpudlian James Metcalf on the blockbuster Alexander Povetkin vs. Dillian Whyte II show in Gibraltar earlier this year. 

‘The Big Cheese’ suffered his first career loss when he stepped up to European level to challenge Spain’s Sergio Garcia at The O2 back in February 2019, but with his personal issues now behind him the 26-year-old Bermondsey favourite is confident that he can mount a fresh assault at European honours and beyond.

“Before I had my demons I hit a point where as a young pro you think you’re unbeatable,” said Cheeseman. “You have that glow and that feel around yourself. I feel like for a while I had a lot of pressure on me. I was putting more pressure on myself because I wanted to prove everyone wrong. Now I feel like I’ve got that relaxed happiness and confidence back. I know that as long as I perform I should deal with Troy Williamson. 

“You always get a test. You either shine or you fail. I hope he fails, but you never know. I believe that I’m ready for whatever he brings. There isn’t any bad blood between us. We’re both good fighters and we both know what we want to do and where we want to go. It’s about giving ourselves the best opportunity of doing that. I’m in unbelievable shape both mentally and physically. 

“I can’t look past this fight, but I feel like this is the last hurdle for me at this level. As long as I’m successful on October 9 then I’ll push on, roll the dice and see where I can get to. I believe that I have the ability to get him out of there in the twelve rounds. Whether it’s points or a stoppage it doesn’t matter, as long as I get the win.
 
“This is my last hurdle at British level. I’m very motivated for this fight. Troy is a good fighter. Obviously he hasn’t had any tests like me. I don’t think he’s had a proper gut check yet, but he’s unbeaten and he doesn’t want to lose his unbeaten record. He’s a tough fighter and he can bang a bit. It’s a good test but I believe my experience will count in the end.”

Cheeseman vs. Williamson is part of a stacked night of action in Liverpool, former WBO Super-Welterweight Word Champion Liam Smith (29-3-1, 16 KOs) meets 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Rio 2016 Olympian Anthony Fowler (15-1, 12 KOs) in a massive all-Liverpool clash for local bragging rights, WBA Bantamweight World Champion Shannon Courtenay (7-1, 3 KOs) defends her crown for the first time against the USA’s Jamie Mitchell (6-0-2, 4 KOs), Northampton’s Kieron Conway (16-2-1, 3 KOs) looks to bounce back from his loss to Souleymane Cissokho on the Canelo vs. Saunders undercard when he meets James Metcalf (21-1, 13 KOs), decorated amateur star Peter McGrail makes his highly anticipated professional debut, Tony Bellew-managed Lightweight Luke Willis (10-0, 1 KO) clashes with Norwich’s Rylan Charlton (6-1-1, 3 KOs), two-time World Title challenger Natasha Jonas (9-2-1, 7 KOs) returns after her thrilling fight with Katie Taylor in May, Birmingham Heavyweight hope Solomon Dacres (2-0, 1 KO) steps up against the experienced Kamil Sokolowski (10-22-2, 4 KOs) in just his third fight, Wigan Lightweight Rhiannon Dixon (3-0) takes on Anaelle Angerville (1-1-1) over four rounds and Blane Hyland (4-1) meets Santiago San Eusebio (3-1-2, 2 KOs) in a four round Super-Flyweight contest. 
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EGGINGTON VS. CHEESEMAN + UNDERCARD PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

Eddie Hearn:

“Good afternoon everyone. Thank you to Chris and Darren. I’m a bit nervous actually! It’s been four or five months since I’ve done an actual live press conference. I’m used to doing them on ZOOM, but we are back! Fight Camp begins this Saturday, live on Sky Sports in the UK and live on DAZN across America as well. We’ve heard all of the puns, ‘it’s Matchroom Square Gardens, it’s Weekend at Hearnies’, whatever you want to call it. But the truth is, what an opportunity for these fighters and what an opportunity for our sport.

“I’ve seen other people come back, studios, empty casinos, great, and we credit them. We are different. We wanted to make a bang. We wanted to make an impact. We wanted to show you how great the sport of boxing is. This time you are going to hear everything. You’re going to hear pin drops around the house and the grounds of Matchroom HQ. You’re going to hear the punches land to the rib cage. You’re going to hear the fighters wincing in agony. You’re going to hear the fighters talking to each other, the referees instructions and you’re going to hear the dialogue between the corner teams when it gets really tough. 

“The world has changed in the last few months, and it may have changed forever. Maybe it has changed our sport forever. We’re back and what an opportunity for these guys. Maybe this is going to be what it’s like for the next couple of weeks, maybe it’s going to happen for the next couple of months. What I do know is Fight Camp has changed the dynamics of boxing. The pandemic has changed the dynamics of boxing because now fighters are stepping up quicker. They are realising they have to take their opportunity.

“The younger fighters coming through are realising they have to step up, particularly against British talents. Here we have two guys in Jordan Gill and Reece Bellotti who were probably due to have six round fights to come back and get their careers back on track. We spoke to both individuals and we said ‘this is a chance for Fight Camp to explode, do you want to be a part of it?’ They both grabbed the opportunity. Ten rounds in the Featherweight division. It’s two guys who I like a lot. We’ve come to a position in boxing where we’re now going to see this a lot. Putting our fighters in together in fights that we feel are going to give value for money for fans and broadcasters.”

Sam Eggington – Stourbridge, England – 28-6, 17 KO’s – defending his IBF International Super-Welterweight Title against Ted Cheeseman:

“Italy was a great adventure for me. I went over there with a chip on my shoulder thinking I had to get it done and get it done right to get me back to where I needed to be. We done that, came home and this is what’s next. I’m excited. As soon as I heard about these back garden brawls I rang Jon and said ‘we need to be a part of this’. I’m over the moon to be headlining the first one. It’s a good fight and it’s one that I believe I can win and look good in. It has all of the makings for a good night. You can lose and come back, history points to that. We’ve had big nights and we’ve had bad nights. They don’t define me. I’m still learning and I’m getting better. I’m getting bigger and stronger. I feel good, the weight has gone well and the training has gone well.”

Ted Cheeseman – Bermondsey, England – 15-2-1, 9 KOs – challenging Sam Eggington for the IBF International Super-Welterweight Title:

“If you stay determined and keep on pushing forwards you’ll be rewarded with the opportunities that you need. This is a big opportunity for me to refresh my career and push on. You look at Sam and you know what you get with him. I’m still young and I’m still a baby. I’m 24 but I’m maturing all of the time and over the past 18 months I’ve been learning a lot. I’ve had a lot of time to work on things. I’m making sure everything is perfect. Sam was a massive Welterweight but he isn’t as dominant at Light-Middle.”

James Tennyson – Belfast, Northern Ireland – 26-3, 22 KOs – fighting Gavin Gwynne for the vacant British Lightweight Title:

“You could say this is my first big tough fight up at Lightweight. Gavin Gwynne is a tough durable lad. He gave a real good account of himself against Joe Cordina. I’m expecting a tough night. The guy works hard. I’ve seen some of his interviews and he’s very confident about getting the win so I’m excited about this one. I need to be smart about my work. I need to stick to the game plan that me and my team have set out. I can’t go in there just relying on my power. Doing drastic weight cuts was killing me off. I was weak to the body and it showed. No I’ve moved up I’m a lot stronger and I’ll show that on fight night.”

Gavin Gwynne – Treharris, Wales – 12-1, 2 KOs – fighting James Tennyson for the vacant British Lightweight Title:

“It’s a life-changing opportunity for myself so I’m going to take it with both hands. He’s a massive puncher, it doesn’t matter if he’s at Lightweight or Super-Feather. He’s a massive puncher. You see the people he’s been in with and knocking over in two or three rounds. That speaks for itself so I’m definitely going to be wary of that. I’ve got to stick to the game plan during the fight. He’s been stopped before and I’m going to try and stop him again.”

Fabio Wardley – Ipswich, England – 8-0, 7 KOs – fighting Simon Vallily for the vacant English Heavyweight Title:

“On Saturday it’s the big test. Like everyone has been saying, it’s the coming out party, the announcement, the real test to get rid of some of those question marks people have about me. I expect Simon to bring the heat full force. He says this is the best shape that he’s been in and he’s been able to train properly with the lockdown. He’s fully focused on the gym and his training. Hopefully on Saturday night I get the best Simon Vallily. Hopefully I’ll then get the credit for taking on a real competitor and getting the win.”

Simon Vallily – Middlesbrough, England – 17-2-1, 7 KOs – fighting Fabio Wardley for the vacant English Heavyweight Title:

“I don’t think he’s man enough to grow a real moustache is he. It doesn’t suit him. It’s a great chance and a great opportunity. I’m in great shape for it. I’ve applied myself properly. I’m focused and I’ve trained well. I’ve train hard. I’ve trained properly and I’ve done it all right. Fabio possess some talent, I’m not going to sit here and say he doesn’t. He’s fast and he’s athletic but the best Simon Vallily beats the best Fabio Wardley. We haven’t see the best Simon Vallily, I’m sick of going on about it. I think he might be expecting the Simon Vallily from the Craig Glover fight. He’s managed by Dillian Whyte, wow. I haven’t lost no sleep over him.”

Dalton Smith – Sheffield, England – 5-0, 4 KOs – fighting Nathan Bennett in an eight round Super-Lightweight contest:

“This is my first real test and it’s one I feel very comfortable heading into. We’ve got to thank Eddie for setting this up and creating a big occasion. It’s time to get to business now and we’re here for one reason and that’s to fight. It’s my first step up and I’m very confident. This is the first time that I’ve done a full ten week professional camp. Last year is was very stop and start. I was very active last year. To have a durable opponent in Nathan Bennett drives you on in training and makes you train hard. You know you’ve got to be 100% and I know Nathan is going to be coming in 100%.”

Nathan Bennett – Liverpool, England – 9-1, 2 KOs – fighting Dalton Smith in an eight round Super-Lightweight contest:

“It’s an opportunity that I was looking for. When this lockdown came about I was meant to be fighting for the Central Area Title on the 6th of June. I’d boxed on the 14th of March and Dalton boxed on the 7th. Steve Wood phoned me and asked what I thought of Dalton Smith and I said ‘if you can make the fight, make the fight’. I believe in myself against anybody. At 140lbs I’ll give anyone a fight. Trust me on that one. On Saturday night I’m going to prove that. I can do the eight rounds on my head easy. We’ll find out on Saturday what the fight is going to start like.”

Jordan Gill – Chatteris, England – 24-1, 7 KOs – fighting Reece Bellotti in a 10 round Featherweight contest:

“It’s a huge opportunity for me and I’m glad to be a part of it. It’s part of history and it’s something we might not ever see again. Thanks for having me and I’m glad you like the barnet. It’s going to have to go at some point but we’ll see how it goes. It’s a fight that I’m looking forward to. When Dave rang and told me I was going to be fighting behind closed doors, he said my show was the first one cancelled so I had the first opportunity to come back, the name that was put to me first was Reece Bellotti and I said yes. No problem. It’s going to be a good fight and I think everyone is looking forward to it.”

Reece Bellotti – Watford, England – 14-3, 12 KOs – fighting Jordan Gill in a 10 round Featherweight contest:

“I didn’t perform to my best in Italy. It kind of is what it is. You don’t look back too much on it with excuses and things like that. It is what it is on the night. I got the offer for Jordan Gill and I thought it was a great fight for me to propel myself back up to where I want to be. Everyone has got their opinions on this fight. They say I carry power, I wouldn’t say that Jordan doesn’t punch hard just because his record doesn’t show it. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t punch hard. On his performances he definitely looks technically better than me, but on the night we could both turn up with different game plans. I’m going to leave everything in there on the night.”
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CHEESEMAN VOWS TO BE TOO BIG AND STRONG FOR ‘FRAGILE’ EGGINGTON

‘The Big Cheese’ predicts late stoppage in Fight Camp opener
Ted Cheeseman has promised to use his size and strength to bully a ‘fragile’ Sam Eggington when they clash for the Stourbridge man’s IBF International Super-Welterweight Title at the top of the bill on the opening weekend of Fight Camp on Saturday August 1, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

Cheeseman (15-2-1, 9 KOs) is the naturally bigger man who has campaigned at 154lbs his whole professional career since turning over in September 2019, winning the English, WBA International and British Titles along the way. 

Eggington’s best wins have come at 147lbs where he was a beast domestically, using his size and punch power to win the Commonwealth and British Titles in 2015, he then stopped Ceferino Rodriguez in ten rounds to earn the European Title in 2017.

A move up to 154lbs saw Eggington notch back-to-back stoppage wins before he suffered a shock TKO defeat to Tanzania’s Hassan Mwakinyo in September 2018. Former World Champion Liam Smith then dominated Eggington en route to a fifth-round stoppage in Liverpool – a loss that Cheeseman has taken confidence from. 

“I respect Sam as a fighter,” said Cheeseman. “He’s a really good fighter, but I think he’s a massive Welterweight. I think he’s a fragile Light-Middleweight. When push comes to shove and I stand there and start bullying him and dominating him in the middle of the ring, he hasn’t got a Plan B but I have.

“If it goes wrong for me, I can box. If I start pushing him back and he can’t handle the strength or power, he has to try and fight back. If that isn’t working what does he do next? I know I can box, I’ve got that Plan B. I feel I’m going to be too big and too strong. 

“I feel like I’ll get Sam out of there in the later rounds. He’s going to have a go early on but as the rounds go on he’s going to keep on getting hit as his defence is his face. Once I keep hitting him the damage is going to come on top and one of the shots is going to land and he’s going to go.”

Eggington vs. Cheeseman tops Week 1 of Matchroom Fight Camp, Belfast’s big-hitting James Tennyson (26-3, 22 KOs) takes on Cardiff’s Gavin Gwynne (12-1, 2 KOs) for the vacant British Lightweight Title, Chatteris talent Jordan Gill (24-1, 7 KOs) meets Watford’s Reece Bellotti (14-3, 12 KOs) in an electric Featherweight battle, fast-rising Ipswich Heavyweight Fabio Wardley (8-0, 7 KOs) steps up to take on Middlesbrough’s Simon Vallily (17-2-1, 7 KOs) for the vacant English belt and gifted Sheffield Super-Lightweight Dalton Smith (5-0, 4 KOs) squares off with Liverpool’s Nathan Bennett (9-1, 2 KOs). 
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