Ward can keep striding on path to British title: Moore
FRESH from picking up his award at the British Boxing Board of Control, Jamie Moore will be in the corner of Steven Ward on Friday as he seeks to continue his progress up the light-heavyweight ladder.
Ward has proven himself to be one of the most popular boxers on the local scene and will once again have good support as he tangles with Mexican Rolando Paredes over 10 rounds at the Titanic Exhibition Centre. Tyrone McCullagh headlines against fellow unbeaten super-bantamweight Josh Kennedy.
Belfast man Ward chalked up a good win in August when defeating Steve Collins jnr on the undercard of Carl Frampton’s dream night at Windsor Park and has been handed a step up in class when he faces Paredes, a rugged opponent whose patchy record suggests he is just what the 28-year-old needs at this point in his career.
Coach Moore has been working with Ward for almost a year now and in that time has been pleased with his development, but even more so in recent weeks.
“I really believe in Steven, he’s a very hard worker who wants to learn and in this camp I’ve seen big improvements — he is developing his game and that’s what I really want to see in this fight,” said Moore, the British Boxing Board of Control’s Coach of the Year.
“This is exactly the kind of test I had asked for because I want to see how Steven handles someone as tough as this Mexican who will apply a lot of pressure.
“Steven has a natural style which is very good from range but in this camp I have seen him feeling a lot more comfortable at close range and not only feeling comfortable but being effective as well.
“When he first came to the gym he really wasn’t sure of himself when it came to working up close, it was easier to hold on and that can be the way with a lot of lads coming out of the amateurs but after all the drills we have done in the gym he is now showing he can do damage to the body.
“It’s not a case of wanting him to be an up close fighter, that’s not him, but he now has that extra bit in his armour and you need that.”
Moore’s faith in Ward is such that he believes the gentle giant, given the right fights, can press the accelerator on his career.
“I believe that by next summer Steven can be fighting for the British title. I know how I want him to progress and the fights he needs so that he has ticked every box before getting his chance,” added Moore.
“Steven is enjoying the fact that he trains alongside both Carl and Conrad Cummings, it’s good for all three that they can be together leading up to fights and generally Steven is looking more relaxed and more confident.
“There’s a fine line between being confident and being cocky but it’s not one that Steven is going to cross. He’s generally a quiet guy but I think his chest is a bit more puffed out since that win at Windsor and also because of the way he has been performing in the gym.
“So, what I really want to see on Friday night is Steven showing people how he has developed — if he can do what he has been doing in the gym recently I’ll be very pleased.”