Sam’s on top of the world at last as ‘Rocky’ story builds to climax!
BIRMINGHAM’S Sam Eggington is boxing’s latest world champion, albeit the IBO version of several! Behind his points win for the vacant super-welterweight title against the previously unbeaten Pole Przemvslaw Zysk at Coventry on Saturday lies a real Rocky Balboa story.
Unlike Sylvester Stallone’s film sequels, Sam will not be making a comeback.
I am able to reveal that his manager Jon Pegg has advised Eggington to retire on his 30th birthday – October 15, 2024.
Eggington turned to professional boxing ten years ago when he was made redundant as a forklift driver. He had a wife and two children to support so he went to the ring to make ends meet.
He expected to be just a journeyman but in a typical overcoming adversity tale he went on to be a champion holding British, Commonwealth, European, junior world titles and now the world championship itself.
When he set out, he never dreamt to be a world champ.
I call him the Rocky of boxing because all his fights end up being toe-to-toe punch-ups.
The latest being at the Coventry Skydome last weekend, although something different happened towards the halfway mark – he took the advice of Pegg about slowing down and taking a breather!
The super-tough Pole was not being stopped (he never had before) so the task was to keep some energy and win on points, which is what happened by a clear margin.
The early rounds belonged to Eggington, who looked as if he was going to stop Zysk.
But it never happened. The Pole, although limited technically, surprised us all!
For the last two years, Sam has been involved in the British Boxing Board’s Fight of the Year.
Saturday was his 14th scheduled 12-round fight and several others have been 10-rounders. He has only been involved a handful of contests that did not last long.
His overall record is 39 contests, 32 wins (18 inside the distance) and seven losses.
A defeat can be a setback in boxing but Sam is that real “Rocky’’ man who overcomes them.
From now on, as he has achieved his ambitions, it’s a case of fighting for three or four very good money contests and then retiring. Sam will then walk away from boxing completely.
Saturday’s contest was against a tough, fit Pole with an excellent chin. I was also pleased for his manager, Pegg.
The two Brummies have an excellent trust in each other and have gone down this amazing unplanned journey.
When asked by Sky Sports what was next, they replied: “We do not have a clue! There has never been a plan. We are happy to take every opportunity that suits us!”
The Coventry bill gave TV viewers a taste of some of the promising Midlands boxers.
Tyler Denny from Rowley Regis won the vacant English middleweight
title by beating Coventry’s River Wilson Bent on points.
It was an exciting contest – a sharp contrast to their November meeting that ended in a technical draw after six-and-a-half rounds.
Denny thought a bad cut on his opponent stopping the contest was caused by a punch. However, the referee ruled an accidental clash of heads.
News of three more Birmingham boxers on the bill...
Welterweight Kaisee Benjamin had a clear points win over Serge Ambomo to take his record to 16 wins, one loss and one draw.
Cori Gibbs, a November winner of the Boxxer Series, made it 17 wins out of 17 by dominating 35-year-old Spaniard Carlos Perez in their superlightweight limit meeting. Another Boxxer series winner in April and Birmingham lightweight boxer, Dylan Cheema took his unbeaten record to six by beating Stu Greener.
I am interested to learn that Hardeep Rai (a Sikh, like 26-year-old Cheema) is the latest sponsor for Cheema through his company IMPACT, who sponsor my Sunday Mercury column! Hardeep has come to the rescue of Birmingham City’s women’s team after their relegation from the top division.
IMPACT sponsored their shirts last season and, with no takers, Hardeep has agreed to do it for another season.
Pegg has a very good local boxers promotion this Saturday at the Solihull Ice Rink.
A defeat can be a setback in boxing but Sam Eggington is that real ‘Rocky’ man who overcomes them.
Cricket’s delayed fifth Test match between England and India starts at Edgbaston on Friday. What a turnabout in the England fortunes under new captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon Mccullum.
Fresh from their 3-0 whitewash of New Zealand, their ‘exciting’ squad of Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes, Jamie Overton, Matthew Potts, Jack Leach et al will be in the home dressing room with Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson reunited.
England’s new speedy scoring and positive approach will be greeted with delight by the home supporters.
Full houses at the England-india matches always create a great atmosphere.
Memories of former Birmingham City and Derby County manager Jim Smith on how he accidentally provided news of transfers in my Impact-sponsored column in the Sunday Mercury.