Dilly’s hoping for title shot
FIGHT fans’ favourite Dilly Singh hopes victory at Villa Park next month will lead to a shot at the Midlands Area cruiserweight championship.
The 30-year-old from Coventry is set to be matched over six rounds on the February 22 show that’s topped by David Seymour defending his Midlands Area flyweight title against Matt Windle in a rematch.
Seymour became the city’s first Midlands champion for several years by outpointing Windle over 10 rounds last November – and Singh says he will soon be ready to bring another belt back to the city.
The Midlands Area cruiserweight title is currently vacant and Singh said: “I just need to get this next one out of the way and then I want to go for the title.
“I’ve fought some tough lads in my career and after my next one, I will be ready.
“When I’m fit and can give everything I’ve got, there’s no reason why I can’t win the Midlands title.
“That’s a big title and who knows where winning that will take me?”
Singh has already won a belt in his exciting six-fight pro career. In April, 2017, he stopped Josh Burke in the fourth round of an exciting shoot out for the British Challenge Belt, but since then, he’s only boxed twice.
He had a break of almost two years before returning last December to outpoint Dmitrij Kalinovskij over four rounds.
“I wasn’t very happy with myself that night,” said Singh, “but it was my first one for a while and I wasn’t really feeling myself.
“I wasn’t that fit. “But for this next one, I will be at 100 per cent and ready to give it everything.”
* Bulkington southpaw Macauley Owen was a points winner in the quality top-of-the-bill bout at Newdigate Colliery and District Sports and Social Club.
The 22-year-old, named Boxer of the Tournament at last year’s Haringey Box Cup, won a split decision over Luke Bibby, a southpaw from Perth Railway ABC.
The opening round was Owen’s as he made the Scot miss and countered, but the next two rounds were closer as Bibby was able to get his head on Owen’s chest.
Next for Owen, an NABC champion in 2018 and twice Haringey Box Cup gold medallist who has had 66 bouts, is the British Universities and Colleges Championship that get underway this month.
He is currently studying for a Masters in Sports Science at Coventry University.
A good night’s boxing put together by Newdigate ABC matchmaker Colin Flood included a quick win for schoolboy Ryan Whitmore.
The 14-year-old rocked Daniel Hopkinson (Keatesy’s) on to his heels with a stiff jab at the bell and kept throwing punches until he was in a heap on the canvas. Hopkinson got up and tried to fight his way out of trouble, but Whimore was too strong and the referee stopped it.
The award for Best Newdigate Boxer went to 13-year-old Michael Pearson-Spencer, a second-round winner over Leyton Hyde (Willehall Town) in one of the bouts of the night.
Hyde was ruled out with a bloodied nose.
At the bell, Hyde really put it on Pearson-Spencer, launching hook after hook at him. Pearson-Spencer kept his boxing together, banged in some solid body punches and bloodied Hyde’s nose. Pearson-Spencer also ended the opening round with a bloody nose, but it was Hyde’s wound that worsened in the second, leading to the stoppage.
Mya Morrris was another Newdigate boxer to shine. The 14-yearold showed a lovely jab in her skills bout and look out for Exhall’s Keon Duffy, another who looked polished in a skills bout.
When I’m fit and can give everything I’ve got, there’s no reason why I can’t win the Midlands title. That’s a big title. Dilly Singh