By Matt Bozeat
EDDIE Hearn has been informed he can be smiling once more quickly. The Matchroom chief was on the receiving finish of a 5-0 whitewash from arch-rivals Queensberry of their ‘5 vs 5’ match in Saudi Arabia final weekend.
If Conah Walker is true, Hearn can even bear in mind 2024 as the 12 months he staged the home fight of the 12 months.
Walker may have some say in the matter. The fight he’s tipping to high the polls is his 10-rounder in opposition to Lewis Crocker in Birmingham on Saturday, June 22.
“We are both exciting, come forward fighters,” mentioned the Wolverhampton welterweight, “and it’s a 50-50 fight.”
Perhaps it’s going to high his win over Cyrus Pattinson final August?
In the fast aftermath of Walker’s three-knockdown, eight-round beatdown, Hearn informed broadcasters DAZN it had been “one of the best fights I’ve ever seen.”
Walker says Hearn “was on his feet going mad. His lad was getting beaten up.”
The outcome gave Hearn choices on Walker and meant he needed to rethink his plan to match Pattinson with Lewis Ritson in a North East derby.
Walker wasn’t fancied to spoil these plans given he was coming off a loss, down at 140lbs to Kane Gardner.
“The losses have benefitted me,” mentioned the 29-year-old, who’s co-managed by Mick Carney and Errol Johnson and skilled by ex-pro Richie Ghent.
“I’ve received alternatives as a result of of them. They suppose that as a result of I’ve been crushed, I’ll roll over. The reverse is the case. The losses have made me extra hungry.
“Before the Pattinson fight, I was saying: ‘Don’t book a fight after me.’ No one was beating me that night.”
The speak now’s of an all-Irish conflict between Crocker and Paddy Donovan.
Donovan stopped Ritson in 9 rounds on the Jack Catterall-Josh Taylor II present and Walker mentioned: “The commentators were saying that Donovan-Crocker is a huge clash in Ireland. They are overlooking me again.”
Walker and Crocker ran into one another after they boxed on the similar invoice in Belfast in January.
Belfast, UK: Lewis Crocker v Jose Felix, WBO Inter-Continental Welterweight Title. 27 January 2024. Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing.
After Pattinson was dominated out of their rematch with a watch harm, Walker received a late name to face Welsh champion Lloyd Germain (9-0) and compelled a third-round stoppage, whereas Crocker took out Jose Felix (40-6-1) with a trademark left hook in the fifth.
“I sized him (Crocker) up in the lift and he looked like a frail boy,” mentioned Walker, who has a one-year-old son Leo with companion Isabelle White.
“I know he’s tight at the weight. He weighed in heavy for that and they said he only had five weeks to prepare. I only had two weeks and I made the weight.”
Walker says his factors loss to Manchester mover Gardner in entrance of the Channel Five cameras final March satisfied him that 140lbs isn’t his weight.
“I didn’t have the legs,” mentioned Walker. “I took too much out of myself getting down to 140lbs. My whole career people have been saying I should be at 140 lbs, but it didn’t pay off. I felt flat leading up to the fight and flat on fight night.”
Up at 147lbs, solely Samuel Antwi has crushed Walker, on a shut unanimous factors choice for the English belt in Cardiff in February, 2022.
Walker thought he deserved higher than to lose by one, two and three factors on the scorecards and has seen Antwi go on to win British honours up at 154lbs.
“I feel I’m better prepared for this,” mentioned Walker of his conflict with Crocker.
“I fought unbeaten fighters in my fifth and sixth fights (Nathan Bendon and Ohio Kain Iremiren) and I’ve fought for Midlands and English titles.
“He hasn’t fought a fully-fledged welterweight who involves have it.
“He looked good against Tyrone (McKenna in a 10-round points win last December) because he had the chance to move and punch. He needs those gaps to generate his power and he won’t get them against me.”
Walker and Ricky Hatton appeared to be the excellent match after Conah turned professional in 2018 following a run to the semi-finals of the Elite Championship, the place he was crushed by Harvey Lambert.
Walker had first appeared on Hatton’s radar at the finals of the 2017 Development Championships in Solihull.
Hatton was there to see son Campbell win junior honours and the well-supported Walker was in usually strong temper as he added the Class B title at 69kgs to the 75kgs title he gained two years beforehand.
“Turning pro with Ricky created a great storyline for myself,” mentioned Walker.
“It was a great platform, but there was too much travelling (to Hatton’s gym in Hyde, Greater Manchester) and me and my partner (Isabelle) were pushing for a baby.”
Walker headed dwelling and in his first fight with ex-pro Ghent in his nook, he gained the Midlands Area welterweight title by outpointing Levi Ferguson (5-1) in Sheffield in May, 2021.
“We have had a couple of losses (since then),” mentioned Walker, “however I by no means thought of leaving him. They had been right down to me and I discovered from them.
“I used to be going into fights too hot-headed. I had smoke popping out of my ears!
“I wanted to get in there and kill them instead of relaxing into the fight and breaking them down.”
That fashion has made Walker widespread. He expects to have 700 supporters behind him when he faces Crocker at the Resorts World Arena later this month and Walker is satisfied they are going to get worth for cash.
“It’s got fight of the year written all over it,” he mentioned.
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