WARNING AHEAD OF WARD’S TITLE TUSSLE
WARD’S MANAGER FLAGS ISSUE AHEAD OF TITLE BOUT WITH JAMES ‘JAZZA’ DICKENS
James ‘Jazza’ Dickens needs to fight with “a boxing glove on his head” when he takes on County Durham’s Martin Ward a week on Friday – that’s the view of manager Dave Garside.
The Scouser goes toe-totoe with Ward in a rematch at the Rainton Meadows Arena on July 27 - this time for the British super-bantamweight title.
And Garside thinks Ward will avenge his 2015 loss with little fuss at the end of the month.
“Martin’s first fight with Jazza could have gone either way,” said Garside, who manages both Martin and younger brother Tommy Ward.
“Martin was cut and had to box totally different to how he normally boxes. It was also Martin’s first fight at super bantamweight, he’s a lot stronger now, and I suspect you’ll see a different Martin Ward in there. He will have learnt from that first fight and I’m very confident. I have a lot of faith in Martin.
“Jazza is a good fighter but if you look at the last few people he’s boxed, they’ve all ended up with multiple stitches and that’s through use of the head. I just hope the ref is going to look after the fighters properly.
“He’s a nice kid is Jazza Dickens, but he needs to have a boxing glove on his head. We have to take the rough with the smooth, but I am confident that Martin will win this time.”
This will be the third time one of the Ward brothers has gone in against Dickens.
With a loss and a win to date, Garside, a former British heavyweight contender himself, is sure Martin will swing the balance back in the West Rainton fighters’ favour.
“WhenyoulookatTommy Ward against Jazza, Tommy never lost a round,” he said.
“People said Jazza was coming back, but all Jazza did was butt him in the face and cut his head.
“Jazza was completely out boxed for the first seven rounds, it was very onesided.”
Younger brother Tommy also returns to the ring on the night, having vacated the British title, which his brother hopes to claim on the night.
Sharing top billing on the card will be Tommy, (23-0), who took the British belt off Dickens in May 2017, before recently vacating.
The 24-year-old is now concentrating on the world stage and, originally slated to fight Ionut Baluta, now fights for the vacant IBF European Super Bantamweight Title against Spain’s Alvaro Rodriguez (8-1-1).
“Tommy has his manstrength now, he’s not a boy any more, and he’s sitting down on his shots a lot more,” said Garside.
“He’s a beautiful boxer. I’m not really concerned about his opponent on the 27th – I have every faith in Tommy.”
The fight night, put on by Dennis Hobson Promotions, in association with Phil Jeffries and Garside and sponsored by Steve Crump, will be shown live on Freesports TV channel.
For ticket information contact 07747 611 020.