En Voyage_Issue#11_Flickbook

I would have jacked it all in, to be honest.
If I couldn’t beat Nassa, a young prospect,
then I’d never box at the level I wanted to.
There would have been nowhere left for
me to go and no point carrying it on,’ said
the dad of two, who celebrated his win
with a pizza, a coffee and an early night.
‘My little girl had been to school, saying
she was going to bring daddy’s belt in,
that he was going to be a champion.
That was going through my head before
the fight - it really played on my mind.
I had to give it everything I had.’
Getting into shape for the event was
gruelling. Super-flyweight is contested
from 112llbs up to 115llbs and making
the class required Watson to lose a
stone in two months by following a
strict diet and exercise regimen.
Even tougher, however, was leaving
behind his wife and kids to train in the UK six
weeks prior to the fight. But having turned
professional in 2011, and having boxed
since he was 11, Watson is no stranger to
the sacrifices demanded by the sport.
His dad, who was friends with Chris
Eubank at school, encouraged Watson to
take up boxing. By the time he reached
the semi-finals of the Amateur Boxing
Association of England
championships,
aged 18, his talent
was causing a
real buzz.
In 2011, he went professional and
was soon under the wing of famous
promoter Kellie Maloney, best known for
guiding Lennox Lewis to the WBC World
Heavyweight title in 1992. Just when
his career was taking off, a jaw injury
resulted in a hiatus and the two parted
ways, only to reunite again in 2015.
But again, the partnership didn’t last, with
Watson citing a lack of communication
for the split: ‘I wasn’t getting the fights
I wanted, the fights I was promised.
But I have no regrets,’ he said.
‘There have been times when it’s
felt like things haven’t been going
my way but boxing is like anything
- if you stick to it and keep working
hard, you’re going to succeed.’
With his career on a high, it’s now vital
Watson carries forward his hard-won
momentum. His eyes are firmly fixed
on October when he’ll compete for
the British super-flyweight title and aim
for a top 10 British ranking. He’s even
hoping to bring the event to Guernsey.
‘I’d love to bring the fight over here, it
would be great for the island,’ he said.
‘My last title fight was on TV, so people
could see I can hit and they know what
I can do, so I definitely feel that winning
earned me respect in the sport. I feel
like the island is proud of me now.’
‘I’D LOVE TO BRING THE FIGHT
OVER HERE, IT WOULD BE
GREAT FOR THE ISLAND’
ACTION SHOTS
DURING THE FIGHT
ALL IMAGES
© RYAN MARSDEN
STEEL STREAM DESIGN
119