By Terence Dooley

Carl Dilks’s appearance in Prizefighter: The Super-Middleweights on March 23rd will offer the Liverpudlian a chance at redemption as he seeks to put last September’s single stanza stoppage defeat to James DeGale behind him and move back into title contention.

Dilks is no stranger to the Prizefighter experience, he appeared in the Light-Heavyweights tournament in February 2009.  Carl felt harshly done by after being announced as the winner of his semi-final with Darren Stubbs only to find out that a mistake had been made and he had, in fact, lost out to the Shaw-based boxer.

His misfortune was compounded in December of that year when Carl was adjudged to have lost to Charles Adamu via a split-decision for the vacant Commonwealth super-middleweight title.  Dilks, though, feels that his luck is about to change as he bids to put to rest the memories of his last Prizefighter experience.

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it, there is a good mix of lads but no one that I don’t think I can get past.  I’m looking forward to showing people what I can do.  It did my head in last time to get announced as the winner against Stubbs, get to the dressing room and then find out that they they’d announced it wrong.  I am looking forward to putting that right,” revealed Dilks.

The 14-3 (5) fighter also wants to wipe away the pain of that televised defeat to DeGale.  “My last fight was on my own fault on the night because I just froze and was surprised by the way DeGale threw shots”, says Dilks when recalling the WBA International title bout, “the way he moved, the speed and the accuracy.  To be honest with you, I got caught but from the first shot on I knew what was happening.  I would put my hand up and admit if I didn’t but I was aware what was going on. 

“When the ref jumped in I didn’t realize what was going on at first.  People asked why I didn’t complain but I couldn’t believe it had been stopped.  Looking back I can understand why because DeGale was so fast and I did freeze a bit on the night, the occasion got to me but you have to learn the hard way.

“I was the one causing a bit of aggro before the fight because I wanted to get into his head a bit but he shook my hand afterwards and was alright.  There was no bad blood.  You have to take it and move on.”

The former squaddie has not fought since; he decided to take a sabbatical from the sport in order to put things into perspective.  He said, “I had three months out of boxing and worked, I’m a flagger by trade. 

“I was close to jacking it in because every time I got an opportunity there was something going on.  I should have become Commonwealth champion by beating Adamu and got to the final of Prizefighter only to have the result changed as I was going back to the dressing room so I only consider the DeGale fight as a loss.  Losing that one was hard to take, harder than I realized, but I couldn’t leave the sport like that.

“I need to go in there and show people that is more to me than I showed in the DeGale fight – I can take an opportunity.  I didn’t show what I was capable of in other fights.  I’m twenty-seven but I’m a young twenty-seven so I want to prove to people how good I am.”

The show takes place at Liverpool’s Olympia, city rival Tony Quigley is taking part, the two men are close friends but have pledged to put friendship to one side should they meet en route to or, ideally for Dilks, in the final itself.

“Me and Tony are best of mates, we have always been mates but if we have to fight then friendship will go out the window until the final bell.  I’d only like to box Tony if it is the final because I know we’d both be getting a decent wage for it.  It will be weird trying to take his head off.  If it comes it comes, we’ll have to fight then go back to being best mates again.  I am here to boost my profile and get in there for British and Commonwealth titles,” pledged the former International Masters 175lb titleholder.

Dilks has a relaxed, almost languid style, it is easy on the eye but may prove to his be his undoing if he starts slowly come fight night.  Carl, though, insists that he is ready to go to war to secure the tournament win.

“You know, everyone says that,” he laughed when asked if he is too laidback.  “My dad says I haven’t got the killer instinct as such.  I have always been a good counter puncher, nice and tight, but know that for these three-threes you have to turn it around and be a bit more aggressive to catch the eye.  Maybe that is something you’ll see from me on fight night.  I’m looking forward to it.”

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