By Terence Dooley

Watford’s Reece “Bomber” Bellotti (10-0, 9 KOs) headlines Matchroom’s latest NXTGEN Sky Sports-televised show at Bethnal Green’s historic York Hall tonight as he bids to add the vacant Commonwealth featherweight title to the WBC International Silver belt that he won by stopping Jamie Speight in eight at the O2 Arena in July.

The 26-year-old meets Doncaster’s Jason Cunningham (23-3, 6 early), who is on a run of six wins since dropping a decision to current WBA World Super flyweight holder Kal Yafai in October 2010.  Cunningham was denied the British belt by Yafai and Bellotti hopes that the 28-year-old will go home emptyhanded once ago.

However, he is also weary of the threat posed by his co-challenger as the southpaw has been the 12 round distance on three occasions, losing two and winning one [to Khalid and, previously, Ross Burkinshaw for the Commonwealth bantamweight belt in 2009, with the win coming via split decision against Sussex’s Ben Jones for his current title], so holds the edge in experience.  The visitor will also be unbowed by the home crowd, his win over Jones took place in the same venue.

“I’ve been working well, working hard and working on technique, more rounds in the ring and doing rounds with southpaws to prepare for my first 12 rounder,” said Bellotti when speaking to BoxingScene.

“I’m fighting a hungry fighter who won the belt the last time out and won’t want to lose it in his first defence.  I’d like to get the stoppage, I’ve got some before but trying to get it on Friday it will be a different story because it is a tougher fight.”

The York Hall is beloved by both fighters and fans, the Londoner made his debut at the venue and has fought there five times, with all five coming by stoppage; he has also boxed at the city’s O2 Arena twice and believes the two venues are comparable in some ways.  He said: “I’ve boxed in the ABAs [he won ABA titles at bantamweight and featherweight in 2012 and 2013 respectively] at the York Hall as an amateur and a few times as a pro so it is a special venue.

“I’ve done nearly 300 tickets myself, the other fighters have done tickets as well so it will be good.  It’s like the O2 but distilled into a smaller place.  He is going to give it a good go to make it a decent fight.  He will want to see how I am over that distance, because I’ve never done it before, but I feel I’ll be the best I’ve ever felt on Friday night.

“I’ve been a floater before (at the O2), which can be hard as you are off and then on, but as you move up the bill it becomes a different story.  You warm up then have to cool down again as a floater so it is hard to get into a set rhythm.”

His last outing at the O2 was the fight against Speight.  Netting the WBC’s Silver belt was his first taste of title glory, and the qualified electrician hopes to light up bigger stages.  “It felt great,” he said when recalling the win.

“I got into boxing to win titles, with the main aim to win a world title, but it is nice to start winning belts.  I now know when to go to the venue, when I’ll be on and all of that, so it is a lot more straightforward.

“I’ve told Eddie I’ll fight anyone, and want to fight for titles, so I would take the British or European if it comes up.  We want to see what is happening with the British title [held by Ryan Walsh] after this.”

There has been some personal joy, too, as his wife has recently given birth to a boy, their first child.  The new arrival has lifted the former both personally and professionally.  “My wife had a little boy 10 weeks ago, my mum is going to have him on the night so that my wife can be ringside,” he revealed. 

“We’ve been out for a few meals and to the cinema, and will go out after the fight to celebrate then come home to see our boy.  Since he was born, the hunger level has gone up through the roof because it is a big change—I want to win for his future and not just my own.”

With nine KOs and seven on the bounce since Adel Hadjous took him the distance in September 2015, Bellotti does not hang around.  Although the opposition has been modest he approaches every fight as if it is a title fight and treats every opponent as a potential threat to his unbeaten record.

“I respect all fighters,” he said.  “I want to get my name out there and for people to enjoy the way I fight, I had to be on the ball in all of my fights because people see these fighters don’t have winning records but don’t realise that they are still trying to win.”

His entry into amateur boxing was not immediate, it happened organically after spending a few years working out in his local boxing gym in order to keep fit.  “I did it for about two-years before the trainer asked why I wasn’t fighting, he said I was good enough to fight and then I won my first Senior belt and didn’t look back.  I always got told that I was more suited to the pro style so I gelled quite well into the process.  Obviously, I am with Jim McDonnell and his style of training suits me perfectly.”

McDonnell has guided James DeGale to the IBF and WBC World Super middleweight titles, the London-based coach is renowned as a hard taskmaster in the gym yet Bellotti believes that he is an underrated tactician, saying: “Jim is fitness orientated, but he is also technical and doesn’t get a lot of credit for that.

“My amateur trainer put me in touch with him.  I wanted it to be relaxed, not too regimental, and went over there to meet Jim.  We relaxed, had a bit of banter and it went on from there—it suited me perfectly.

“I train alongside James, he is an inspiration to all of us and we can see how he got up there.  He lost to [George] Groves, but stayed with Jim and that shows it was just a blip and that Jim’s a great trainer.  Once you’ve been in Jim’s presence you know why other trainers like him.  Jim boxed at my weight, so it is great to know that and I try to do what he tells me to do in the corner.”

Bellotti’s day job is different than most, he is a lighting technician and has worked on some massive films: his CV includes a few Harry Potters, James Bond, Mission: Impossible and the recent Star Wars film.  He revealed that you have to remain firmly in the background so he does not get to hobnob with the stars.  Still, his other job may come in handy if he ever works with Christian Bale and accidentally steps into Batman’s point of view when he is acting and emoting.

“I work on the film sets every now and again, obviously the boxing has taken over as it requires a bit more dedication but if I’m not in camp people will ring me up for work on the sets,” he said.  “I am a fully qualified electrician, I did that straight after school when boxing as an amateur.  My dad had worked in the film industry since I was young, so I’d go out with him and worked up a contact base.  I’m lucky, really.

“I’ve done some decent films.  I’m in the background, you see the stars but don’t really interact with them as they’ve got a job to do and so have I.  Getting stars-struck when working alongside them is not the thing to do.  It can be boring, it is not as glamorous as people think.”

Nor is boxing.  Some people see the Sky and BoxNation shows and assume that fighters are on a lot of money.  In reality, it is a long, hard climb to get to the top and only a few make it.  This understanding was at the forefront of the contender’s mind when he decided to get a trade under his belt before belting people for pay.

“People should understand that people need to work alongside their boxing as they only see the top-end and not what happens in small hall terms and that the money isn’t great until you get to a certain level.

“They (opponents and small hall fighters) are the people who really go under the radar, they need respect for what they do as without them we wouldn’t be able to box.  I’ll always work, as I get offered work quite often, but hopefully won’t have to rely on it after boxing.  I always wanted to get a trade when I was young so I was switched on there.”

Bellotti followed his father into his trade, and sons of boxers often pick up the bug too.  Bellotti told me that, should this be the case, he will be supportive without being too involved.

“I’ve always said that he can do what he wants to do as long as it makes him happy.  I won’t be too in his face if he decided to do it.  I’d take him to the gym and leave the trainers too it.  I’ve seen gyms where the dads come in with their kids and almost force their kids into it.  Then they might not like it and when they should be kicking on they fall out of love with it.  You can’t live your child’s life for him.”

(Insert your own generic Friday the 13th ‘He will hope this doesn’t turn into a horror movie’ pun here...)

Please send news and views to @Terryboxing.