This feature was published before the unfortunate, late cancellation of Ryan Walsh’s Golden Contract Final against Jazza Dickens, following the Liverpool man’s positive test for Covid-19. Boxing Social wishes Dickens and trainer Derry Mathews a swift recovery and looks forward to the fight being rescheduled in the near future.
The date of September 30 could deliver another memorable moment in the Walsh boxing bloodline.
On that day nine years ago, Liam Walsh successfully defended his Commonwealth super-featherweight title against Paul Appleby. It was more than just a routine defence; it was a fight for the ages inside the York Hall sweathouse. An England versus Scotland war that rightly won the British Boxing Board of Control’s ‘Contest of the year’ in November 2012. It was also the opening night for subscription channel Boxnation and would have brought the house down in any venue across the British Isles.
Tomorrow night, Liam’s twin brother Ryan (27-3-2, 12 KOs) will look to take home the MTK Golden Contract grand prize, which began with eight featherweights last October and now has two men left standing – Cromer’s Walsh and Liverpool’s Jazza Dickens.
in their Golden Contract semi-final. Photo: MTK Global.
History and dates have a habit of repeating themselves, throwing up spooky coincidences. While we may not witness a breathless spectacle such as the one his Liam fought in nine years ago, the two Golden Contract finalists, seasoned and experienced as they are, have both looked very good and hard to beat in the competition.
“The best analogy is the unstoppable force against the immovable object in this competition. It’s got all the ingredients this fight,” Walsh told Boxing Social.
“I’m proud of him [Liam] for that fight of the year,” said Ryan looking back at the Appleby battle. “I was proud of him on the night. Three or four thousand contests a year and that was the one that everyone agreed was the best. A lot of things aligned that night.”
Liam, along with fellow fighting brother Michael, have helped mould Ryan into the man and boxer he is today. The thousands of rounds sparring has played its part but so has the innocent times when Ryan would practice any and every wrestling move on Liam when they were children. “I gave Liam the People’s Elbow and knocked his tooth out!”
The world of sports entertainment acted as a first influence for Ryan, but reality soon hit when the behemoths who would jump off a steel cage and put each other through tables were at least 100lbs heavier than him. “There was as much chance of me becoming a wrestler as there was a bloody astronaut. I’d have been a sideshow!”
Photo: MTK Global.
A win against Dickens tomorrow night would be a Wrestlemania moment. So many years waiting in the wings for main event status on a big platform where a victory would catapult his career to a potential world title shot. A sense of justice would hang in the air for Walsh, too, having been stripped of his British featherweight title at the monthly BBBofC board meeting last month. Walsh, like many in the trade, was shocked by the decision to take away the prized possession, which he had proudly defended six times in five years. While it has had a negative impact during his preparations, a positive has been found.
“Talk about igniting a man,” he said in response to what the Board did. “Jazza Dickens still has back doors because when I beat him, he’s still IBF European champion. What they’ve [BBBofC] done to me is disgusting. The only word is disgusting. It’s disrespectful. I’ve been a proud British champion, and this is how they treat me. They stripped me on the second Wednesday in September. They could have waited till October.”
Now we are in fight week and on the eve of a crossroads bout between two men who love boxing, their families and possess no ego or desire to have a bigger social media following than anything else. The stripping of Walsh’s British title is done and, admirably, he is using it as fuel to a fire that is burning at the right temperature for tomorrow night.
of their eagerly-anticipated final. Photo: MTK Global.
He feels he has been mistreated in his career, but it is all experience and harnessed by Walsh in such a calm and cool manner that it makes you forget he is in a win or bust bout on Sky Sports in just over 24 hours. Not that you should ever underestimate Walsh’s passion for boxing. The politics, the drug cheating and the embarrassing number of world champions brings out the fan in him and the frustration he has with the sport. So why does he still love it?
“It’s the idea,” his answer begins. “Two men, sometimes they’ve been beat, sometimes they’ve not, are going to agree to fight, set a date and there’s going to be a wage. They’re going to turn up and they’re going to have it. It’s the greatest idea of all-time. The reason I love it so much is because I still adhere to that idea despite all the stains on the sport. I know I’m the cleanest, leanest nine stone man on this planet. I know I can never fail a drug test because I don’t do drugs.
“My dad taught me you don’t need a magic wand; you are the magic wand. Your brain is capable of anything, if you believe with enough hard work. I can beat any of them, even the cheats. Why do I love it so much? Because when you suspect a cheat and you beat them it makes you feel 10 times better. If you cheat, not only are you disrespecting your opponent but you’re disrespecting yourself, I ain’t doing that for nobody. My son cheated against me at Call of Duty with this thing that just makes you win instantly! I can’t fathom cheating. I play to win. I don’t see any fun in being successful with the advantage of cheating because you’ve lost all success! I will never be able to understand cheats in anything.
“I used to nick a few quid from the Monopoly bank when I was a kid, course I did but when I play with my kids, I tell them we’re playing fair. In cards, my cousin used to cheat all the time but when I play with my family, I don’t expect anyone to cheat. If I was a cheat in boxing, I couldn’t look at my five kids in the eyes. I want them to be proud of me and look up to me. This is the ‘Roid age we’re living in. It’s terrible. All the men I used to look up to and think were great, I now question them. I won’t have a legacy after boxing, no one will remember me, but I will be proud of what I did and how I achieved it.”
of his cherished British title by the BBBof C. Photo: MTK Global.
On Thursday morning, Walsh may believe otherwise about a potential legacy if defeats Dickens. He is being too harsh on himself, but his honesty is one way and never looks back. What he says sticks and he won’t change it for anybody. The MTK Golden Contract final is a culmination of the ups and downs over the years that have built a steely resolve. If he doesn’t win, he believes he will be a tumbleweed in the wind if his name is ever brought up in the future. Win or lose, this is the moment for both Walsh and Dickens to deliver.
“Can I prove what I think I am? Am I as good as I think I am? All these questions will be answered,” he said. “Anyone who watches this fight on Wednesday will be in for a treat. I see Jazza being the hardest fight of my life. I’ve never ever felt this good, this close to a fight. I can’t tick any more boxes. I’m ready to go now.
“Jazza has only lost to European level fighters minimum. What will people say when I beat him? I am world class. I am one million percent confident I am of that level. It’s just going out and doing it now.”