English veteran Maxi Hughes knows victory on Friday will take him a step closer to another title shot.
The lightweight Hughes is ranked No. 5 by the WBC, No. 7 by the WBA, and No. 10 by the IBF. He has tested himself against the likes of William Zepeda, George Kambosos, Liam and Ryan Walsh, and Archie Sharp. Tajikistan’s Bakhodur Usmonov, Hughes’ opponent, is undefeated at 11-0 (5 KOs) but doesn’t have Hughes’ depth of experience in the fight game.
And despite his veteran status, the 35-year-old Hughes still needs the voice of coach Sean O’Hagan – father and trainer of Josh Warrington – in the corner.
“I still very much respect the instructions that my trainer gives me,” said Hughes, 29-7-2 (6 KOs).
“I feel like we’re a perfect team,” Hughes told BoxingScene. “He knows the right things to say and he knows the right things that get the best out of me. I’m not a fighter who needs a trainer standing in front of me, firing a rocket up my backside, going, ‘Come on, come on.’
“I’m a professional and I can work hard. I know to work hard. I need the intelligent things said in a calm manner. Our personalities gel really well together and it, even like we were sparring recently and it’s still the same every time I spar, every round I go back to that corner, I’m like looking at it and going, ‘Was that all right? Did I do everything you told me to? Did I execute it?’ And it’s like I’m trying to please him all the time. ‘Was that good enough? Did I do good then?’ I’m always seeking his approval and wanting that and I’ve got full, 100 per cent trust and faith in everything that he says. I absolutely need Sean in my corner to carry on moving forward.”
Hughes-Usmonov will meet on the IBA Pro “Night of Champions” bill headlined by the heavyweight fight between Bulgarian veteran Kubrat Pulev and Russia’s Murat Gassiev.
