Local bragging rights are at stake when welterweight Conah Walker welcomes Birmingham veteran Sam Eggington to the Civic Hall this Saturday in his native Wolverhampton in the English West Midlands.
“There ain’t no man beating me in Wolverhampton. I’m telling you that now,” Walker said in a statement sent out by Matchroom Boxing.
Walker (17-3, 8 KOs) is riding high ahead of his headliner in his hometown to be broadcast live on DAZN. The 30-year-old comes off an impressive late stoppage over the highly regarded Pat McCormack in Monaco this past December. Walker is on a four-fight unbeaten run that has seen him lift the British and Commonwealth titles. He is currently ranked in fifth place for Rolando Romero’s WBA world title and in thirteenth spot for Crocker’s IBF belt.
”I’ve been calling out to fight Sam for a long while,” Walker explained. “Not because I’ve got anything against him, myself and Sam get on. There’s no bad blood or stigma there. It’s just he’s one of the big names here in the Midlands in and around my weight. So, it’s a local derby. He’s a big name here and a well-known name in the UK. It would be a statement for me to go and win, and win in style.”
Eggington (36-9, 20 KOs), a former British, Commonwealth and European champion poses arguably as Walker’s toughest test since losing a unanimous decision to Lewis Crocker nearly two years ago. The 32-year-old is two fights undefeated, but has been inactive for over a year following a technical decision victory over Lee Cutler.
“There were probably easier fights that I could have accepted, but I wanted to fight Sam,” Walker added. “I knew it would sell well, which it has. It’s going to catch fire. There’s no doubt about that. It will be a great clash of styles. But overall, I’m too fresh and I’m ready for it. I want to give everyone in Wolverhampton a special fight, showing the world that I am no gimmick.”
