Derry Matthews Looks Destructive: Wants Crolla, Rees

By Terence Dooley

‘Dirty’ Derry Matthews registered a single stanza KO win over South Shields’s George Watson on Frank Maloney’s cracking card at Liverpool’s Olympia venue earlier tonight.  A solid right hand sent the six-footer to the canvas early in the opener, the 27-year-old failed to beat the count of referee John Latham, possibly due to a broken nose.

Watson is on a dire run of form, losing his previous three after going unbeaten between 2007-2010.  Liverpool’s Stephen ‘Jenko’ Jennings ended this prosperous period by inflicting a third-round TKO reverse on ‘Razor’ in September of last year.  George now slips to 8-5-2 (1).

Ironically, Derry meets Jennings on July 30th; the 27-year-old aims to hand Stephen his first loss in six fights, 5-0-1 (2).  Matthews picked up the WBU and British titles down at featherweight.  The Liverpudlian now feels that he is amongst the best 135lbers in the UK.

“I am pleased and not pleased, I could have done with a few more rounds but George is a very good opponent, he come to win and he’s got a good record.  I want to prove that I’m the best lightweight out there.  With [trainer] Oliver [Harrison] and the lads in the gym we work on different tactics everyday.  As soon as we get an opponent we work on the tactics and thanks to the man itself it (the KO) happened,” enthused Matthews when speaking about his latest win with Ed Robinson of Sky Sports.

“The people around me,” replied Matthews, now 28-5 (14), to the question of why he has found a new lease of life up at lightweight.  “[Trainer] Oliver [Harrison], Frank [Maloney] and Steven Vaughan, they are going to get me onto bigger and better things.  I had a bad patch at home, had family stuff and stuff like that.  I had a break away from the ring [early in 2010], have come back and teamed up with Frank, and I won’t look back.

“I want [British titlist] Anthony Crolla, [EBU boss] Gavin Rees and people like that.  They’re top, top fighters.  I’m not going to come on here and say I’ll knock them out in a round – I really rate them.  I believe I’ve got the best team around me and we can go on and beat them.”

Frank Maloney believes that the move up in weight has rejuvenated Derry after a run of stoppage defeats to Martin Lindsay, Harry Ramogoadi and Scott Lawton threatened to derail his promising career. 

“He is growing into the lightweight division,” mused Maloney.  “He’s proven what we’ve said all along that fighters can’t keep maintaining the (lower) weight for long periods – it is bad for them.  Oliver’s taken him up in weight, and you see the difference in him.  He is ready for them (Crolla and Rees).”

Please send news and views to neckodeemus@hotmail.co.uk