It’s been quite the year for Bracknell welterweight, Luther Clay in 2018. Chalking up four victories in four, Clay moved to ten victories overall since turning pro with Siesta Boxing Promotions in 2016.
The year started under the star-studded lights of the World Boxing Super Series on the undercard of the semi-final between George Groves and Chris Eubank, where Clay was victorious against Danny Craven over six rounds. Clay went on to fight Jean Pierre Habimana in Riga, stopping Habimana in the 8th round after a dominant performance. After back-to-back victories in his native Bracknell, picking up solid decision victories over Renald Garrido and Yahya Tlaouziti both in eight round fights, Clay is clearly looking to move into a new realm with his career in 2019.
“I saw a poll on Twitter for who Ekow Essuman should make his first defense of the English title against. There were four boxers on the poll and I came second ahead of like of Gary Corcoran. That’s a fight that interests me! There is also Mike McKinson who had a good performance against Sammy McNess. But one thing I really need at the beginning of the year is a ten round fight; there is no point in doing any more eights. Then after that, I think it’s time for me to maybe get a title fight? I think I’m ready.
“I’ve been in with some good fighters this year. Habimana had never been stopped before and I got him out of there in Riga, then I had the fight with Renald Garrido, who can give anybody a tough fight and I dealt with him well, again he’s never been stopped and finally Tlaouziti, who won the French title after I beat him. So it’s been a good year. My manager (Al Siesta) has matched me in tough fights and I’m experienced fighting on the big stage and in front of my home fans. I’m ready for anything!”
Despite a solid year with four dominant victories, Clay seemed not one to rest on his laurels with a very critical assessment on his last performance with a unanimous decision victory in September over Yahya Tlaouziti.
“I don’t know, I wasn’t happy with the performance, but I wasn’t un-happy with it. He was trickier than he looked on video; I wasn’t able to get the range quite right to be able to land to the head as much, so I had to go body hunting. It was a tricky-ish kind of fight. It was closer than I would of liked, which doesn’t make me that happy. It was OK!”
Source: Siesta Boxing [Press Release]