By Lee Collier
Craig Watson begins 2010 by moving closer to the light-welterweight limit in a bid to target titles at 140lb. Watson, who is a former Commonwealth welterweight champion, has announced his assault on the 140lb weight category and starts off 2010 when fighting on the 19th February at the Fenton Manor Sports Complex in Stoke.
Watson, 15-3 (5 early), is due to face Barrie Jones, 16-4 (1 KO), in a fight that Watson intends to take at 143lb before he attempts to get into the British title mix. Welshman Jones will be a good first test for the Manchester fighter although Watson is brimming with confidence.
“I have seen him [Jones] against Young Mutley and against Kell Brook and I just think he is wide open to counter punching. I think his style is suited to me and I’m always in the gym sparring Darren Askew who is a southpaw and I have boxed some of the best southpaws around like Michael Lomax so I don’t think I have a problem with southpaws,” declared the 26-year-old southpaw.
Whilst confident Watson knows the Welshman can be dangerous having given former world champion Souleymane M’Baye a close run over eight rounds and haven taken British champion Kell Brook seven rounds.
“It is quite a good test for my first fight going to light-welterweight. I don’t want to fight duck-eggs; I want to fight guys with something about them as it focuses you more. I have a good kid who I know I can look good against,” enthused Watson.
“He [Jones] can give fighters trouble but M’Baye used the wrong tactics against him. M’Baye tried to blast him out and if you go looking for him he can make you look stupid. If you stand off Jones and aren’t clumsy you should be okay.”
Watson’s confidence is high after a spectacular second round stoppage against Riad Menasria back in November. Watson, though, feels he has more to give. “My last fight was against a good kid who had never been stopped with 28 wins, 1 loss and 1 draw, and I dropped him in the first and stopped him in the second round so it was a big boost and it put me up there,” recalled Watson.
“I was super happy with the stoppage, it was just a shame I was on so late (on the night),” explained Watson. “I felt a bit lazy and it’s just one of those things when you are on a card with so many good lads. I wasn’t feeling my best but I still managed to get in there and do the business and just think how good I could have looked if I had boxed early on.”
Watson has signalled his intent of winning titles at 140lb the traditional way, he wants to get the British before moving on to the Commonwealth and European title. Standing in the way of Watson at the minute is British champion Lenny Daws.
Daws is scheduled to meet Welshman Jason Cook on the 12th February and Watson is interested in fighting the winner; he believes that the Daws-Cook contest could go either way. “I am not too sure who’ll win between Daws and Cook,” stated Watson.
“Jason Cook is strong as an ox and a come forward fighter and I have only seen him lose to Rees recently who is world class. Rees beat him on work rate and that’s Lenny’s strength. Cook is a strong lad and Lenny Daws is easy to catch but I don’t know how good Lenny Daws’s punch resistance is.
“Cook will catch him and if he catches him right we will see how well Daws can take a shot. It looks a good clash of styles and is a good match and should be a cracking fight to watch, I would love to fight whoever wins and has the British belt.”
Tickets for the Stoke bill, topped by Scott Lawton’s European title tilt, can be purchased by going to http://www.brandhatton.com/Main/Box_Office.
