Dilly eyes high five to take Challenge prize

COVENTRY cruiserweight Dilly Singh has another belt in his sights.

He fights for the vacant International Challenge Belt at The Venue in Edgbaston on Friday, December 1 and win or lose, it’s sure to be fun to watch.

“I would rather get knocked out than not give it 100 per cent,” said the 27 year old ahead of the eight rounder.

“Some fighters struggle to sell tickets, but I don’t.

“I sell plenty of tickets because I always go in there and do my best.”

His best has been too good for his first four opponents – and says he’s keen to push his career along.

“Everything in training harder,” he said.

“I’m doing more sprints, running further is getting and sparring more. I’m getting ready for hard eight and 10-round fights. I put everything into boxing because I want to be the best I can be.”

Singh admits that without boxing, he may have gone off the rails.

“I was getting into trouble on the streets, messing about, getting into fights,” said the honest slugger. “Someone suggested boxing.” Singh had six bouts for Willenhall ABC, reversing his only loss, and then took up kickboxing.

He won WAKO British honours, fought for European honours and after a sparring session at the Red Corner gym, he was offered the chance to box professionally. He started his career up at heavyweight and showed his toughness against hardened journeymen before deciding to drop down to cruiserweight. He captured the vacant British Challenge Belt in April with a fourround stoppage of Josh Burke that proved his improvement.

Several months earlier, their sparring sessions were described as competitive, but when they fought, Singh was dominant and thrashed Burke in four rounds.

Singh says sparring sessions with Simon Barclay and Kash Ali in recent months have brought him on further – and convinced him he can bring the Lonsdale belt back to Coventry.

“I want to win the British title and fight on television,” he said, “but at the moment, I just want to keep progressing.”