By Frank Warren
Jamie Cox and Callum Smith is a terrific domestic dust-up – so let’s get it on!
Domestic dust-ups are the lifeblood of British boxing, and have been since fighting men first pulled on the gloves – then called ‘mufflers’ - in 18th century. Even before then, when combatants bare-knuckled down to it in roped-off meadows and the estates of the landed gentry.
Unfortunately these days pairing home-grown rivals is not as easy as it once was but when they happen there is no greater atmosphere in the arena or lick-lipping anticipation among the fans.
Britain is a nation rich in super-middleweight talent and I would like to see the couple who had such whirlwind wins last weekend now get it together.
Anyone who knows boxing knows that Callum Smith and Jamie Cox, both unbeaten and blistering punchers with almost identical records, would put on a terrific scrap, one that would be right up there among the fights of any year. It is a natural match, and one I believe the Board of Control should make for the British title.
Both showed their class, as well as their devastating finishing power in their respective one round conquests of Rocky Fielding in Liverpool and Hungarian Ferenc Albert in Dublin.
I thought Swindon’s Cox, who had been out for a couple of years, looked in superb shape in winning the WBO European title in just over a minute against an opponent whose recent record showed he was no slouch.
Jamie’s southpaw slugging looked more compelling than ever. He has not lost an ounce of his power venomous power. He has a great pedigree from being an ABA champion upwards and he deserves first shot at Smith’s newly-acquired British title. And it is a fight I would take my man to win.
Of course there is always a chance that Liverpudlian Smith would give up the belt rather than face Cox but, if that is the case, it doesn’t say too much about him, does it? But why would he do that? He and Jamie is a really big fight and the winner would be a worthy contender for any of the super-middleweight world titles.
I know Cox really fancies his chances against either Fedor Chudinov or Badou Jack, who he has already beaten in the amateurs. I’d put him in with any of the current world champions because he’s not a baby, he’s 29 and probably now at the peak of his career.
His strength is just unbelievable and he has certainly controlled some of that earlier wildness – both in the ring and out. He’ll be the first to admit he’s been a bit of a hothead at times, but he’s got himself together really well under trainer John Costello.
Smith was equally impressive in blasting out a three-times floored Fielding in a similarly brief encounter but the difference between them was that he got caught a few times in the exchanges whereas Albert barely laid a glove on Cox.
Of course, it may be difficult to make from a promotional point of view because of their different camps, but surely it is one the Board should order. So let’s get it on.
