“SATURDAY is my coming out party!” Troy Jones, a man whose big punches have taken him from small halls to stadiums, proclaimed.
Saturday is fight night, the biggest fight night of light-heavyweight Jones’ explosive career.
On Queensberry’s huge show at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena, the 26-year-old faces Ezra
Taylor for the WBA Continental Gold title.
In Taylor, he faces a man fighting in his own city, backed by Frank Warren, and unbeaten in 11, eight of those wins coming early.
Troy, brought up in Birmingham, but now based in Tamworth, doesn’t give a fig about reputations, the man just loves a tear-up.
“I just want to be in good fights,” he said. On paper, this looks a very, very good fight – one that seems destined to erupt into violent action.
It is a collision of boxing bangers. Jones is unbeaten in 12, he’s won six inside distance and captured the English belt.
He has been in the trenches, he has been hurt and fought back to grab victory. Taylor has not. He has travelled the 10 round distance twice. Taylor has done it once.
I watched Jones haul himself of the canvas to halt tough Pole Michael Ludwiczak in four rounds of pure mayhem.
“The camp has gone perfect, It couldn’t have gone any better,” Jones said.
Some fight figures I’ve spoken to consider the battle a tall order for Troy. He certainly doesn’t.
“People will believe what they want to believe,” he said. “I’ve seen a couple of things sent by mates from the bookies that have me as favourite.
“Maybe it’s because he’s hyped up and got a bit of recognition because of Frank (Warren). It’s irrelevant.
“I started on the small hall shows (his debut was at the H Suite, Edgbaston), I’ve been in exciting fights. I’ve been 10 rounds twice, I’ve won the English title fights. I’ve been there and done those things, I don’t believe he has.
“Would you want to take that first step against someone like me? I don’t think so.”
In a previous interview, Jones told me: “I’m in there to fight – I don’t care if it’s a big show or a little show. I don’t think I’ve been in a dull fight. It’s been the same since I was a kid whether it was in the ring our outside the ring.”
This is a very big fight on a very big show – and Jones, Birmingham’s own master blaster – hell-bent on stealing that show.
