By Elliot Foster
Derry Mathews has expressed his disappointment after learning that his world title fight has been pushed back, as well as doubt over the reason for its postponement.
The likeable Liverpool lightweight, 32, had been set to take on WBO champion Terry Flanagan (29-0, 12 KOs) on February 13 at the ECHO Arena, live and exclusive on BoxNation. But Mathews (38-9-2, 20 KOs) will be forced to wait a little longer after the titlist withdrew from the fight through injury before securing a rescheduled date of March 12 at the original venue.
“I don’t think Terry’s injured,” Mathews told Boxing Scene when they caught up with him from his training base in Marbella, Spain. “I think he’s pulled out because he hasn’t prepared right, because he needs more time and because he’s struggling at the weight.”
Flanagan, 26, had been suffering from severe tendinitis in his left foot and cited such an issue as his reason for pulling out of the second defence of the crown he won last July.
‘Dirty’ Derry, however, has questioned the legitimacy of those claims and believes that the delay has come about because of deficiencies in his opponent’s preparation for the all-North West showdown.
“Terry looked very tight at the weight last time we met at the press conference, but worse than that I think he knows he’s in deep water and he knows that I’m going to beat him up and smash him to bits.”
There were some suggestions that the fight was only happening in Liverpool because of other fights at the Manchester Arena. Both his title win and first defense took place at Flanagan's hometown venue. Mathews believes that the location of their fight has impacted on the champion's decision to pull out.
“I think that because he knows he’s coming to Liverpool, he knows he’s in trouble,” Mathews insists. “He and his team tried their very hardest to get the fight in Manchester before it was even scheduled the first time and he’s tried his hardest now to get the fight pushed back so that he can get his preparation right.
“This isn’t going to affect me, but I’ll speak with my coach [Danny Vaughan] and we’ll come up with a new training regime so that I peak just in time for the new date. Either way, there’s going to be a new world champion when I fight Terry Flanagan.”
Tickets purchased with the original date printed on will be valid for use on the new date.
Elliot Foster is part of the BoxingScene.com UK news team. Twitter: @FreelanceFoz
