‘My plan was working but mistakes cost me’
DEFEAT IN MANCHESTER FOR CHATTERIS BOXER
CHATTERIS boxer Jordan Gill’s dream of a world title shot was left in tatters on Saturday night after he suffered a tenth-round stoppage defeat to Zelfa Barrett in Manchester.
The 29-year-old was coming on strong in the fight at the AO Arena in a close, hard-fought battle, however, the hometown favourite delivered a sickening body shot that saw Gill, who was defending his WBA superfeatherweight international title, crumple to the canvas in the tenth round.
The former European featherweight champion managed to get himself back up, but his dreams of a super-featherweight world title shot were quickly over as Barrett found a way through to deliver another body blow and referee John Latham stopped the contest with 16 seconds of the tenth round remaining.
“Congratulations first to Zelfa, what a fantastic fight, shared the ring with him tonight, I didn’t know whether he was world class or not, he proved to me tonight that he is world class,” Gill told DAZN after the fight.
“He is a great guy, got a great team behind him and I genuinely hope that he goes on to win that world title.
“But for me, I thought that the fight could have gone either way up until that point, he had a great start, very tricky, hard to pin down.
“I felt like I was coming on strong, but the more I pushed I opened myself up to those body shots, I tried my best to get up, I did get up, I always will, you know me I will never quit, but I couldn’t find a way back in.
“Not at all [there are no issues with the stoppage], the ref has a job to do. I had been down twice, I felt like I could have continued, but it is not down to me, is it?
“I will go until I don’t have a breathe in me, I will go until I am not conscious.
“It is hard. I genuinely wanted to win, I feel really bad for my team, they put so much time into me to get me ready for this fight, we worked hard on the game plan, it was working, but a silly mistake from me and it cost me.
“No excuses, I was in the best condition I have ever been. I mentally and physically prepared for Zelfa and he still beat me.”
Gill’s promoter Eddie Hearn believes that the Chatteris fighter, who has now lost three of his 32 fights, can come back stronger from this loss.
He said: “Unfortunately there is a winner and a loser, but what we have got here is two great blokes, great examples of the sport of boxing.
“I just said to Jordan Gill, I know he is going to be upset, don’t give up, I think that he has improved so much under Ben Davidson, and the performance against Conlan was really good and the performance tonight through nine rounds, it was anybody’s fight. “Someone had to step up, he had to press the pace, this man [Barrett] found from the boots with that body shot. Two really good guys. “For Jordan I believe that he can come back stronger.”
Barrett himself, also urged Gill to box on, saying: “Gill man, tough, tough fighter. This guy ain’t shot, he ain’t done.
“I had to work hard, I didn’t underestimate Gill, but I thought he wasn’t as good as he was, I thought [Michael] Conlan (who Gill beat in his last fight) was shot, he proved me wrong.”
For Jordan, I believe that he can come back stronger. Eddie Hearn