Knockout artist Joe Pigford (16-0, 15 KOs) has put the British super-welterweight division on notice.
In the three years since his breakout win against Aarron Morgan, Pigford has failed to secure meaningful fights, instead having to make do with bouts against journeymen. Now ‘The Pig’ wants to get involved with the leading names on the domestic scene.
Matchroom recently announced three 154lbs contests as part of its Fight Camp series, the biggest of which features Sam Eggington against Ted Cheeseman. Pigford would relish the chance to face the winner.
“I’d love to fight either of them,” Pigford told Boxing Social. “Whoever comes through in that fight, I’d love to fight them. That is the perfect fight I’m looking for. Hopefully, I can get one like that.”
Pigford has previously shared the ring with Eggington while the Southampton man was training with Ricky Hatton in Manchester. Based on what happened behind closed doors, Pigford believes fans would be in a for a treat if they were to fight.
“I’ve sparred Eggington,” he said. “He’s a proper nice bloke. From the sparring, I’d say it would be an exciting fight, but it wouldn’t last long [laughs]. But it’s one I’d definitely win. In that sparring, I’d been [out of the ring for a long time], he was coming back from a defeat, and sparring is different to a fight, but I think me and Eggington would be a good fight while it lasted and I definitely think I’d win.”
A week after Eggington-Cheeseman, 2016 Olympian Anthony Fowler takes on Adam Harper. Pigford believes that Fowler’s aggressive style would ensure that the Scouser would not hear the final bell.
“He ain’t got a granite chin,” Pigford said with a laugh. “He’s been stopped as an amateur [Kamran Shakhsuvarly LTKO2] and he got dropped by [Scott] Fitzgerald in the final round which cost him the fight. I’ve sparred Fowler, he’s a good fighter, he’s got a good jab. I think it would make for a good fight and one which I again believe I’d win.”
The final super-welterweight bout sees Kieron Conway face Navid Mansouri. Pigford had been in discussions to face Conway on a Matchroom card in Bournemouth, prior to the Covid-19 outbreak; however, the fight failed to come to fruition.
“I got offered Kieron Conway, but he didn’t want to fight me,” he said. “Regardless, I was going to be on the show in Bournemouth, then obviously this all happened. I see all the fights getting made and it’s a bit frustrating for me.”
While the big-hitting Pigford is certain he is currently being avoided, he believes that eventually the top names will have to face him.
”Domestically at my weight, there’s so many fights out there,” he said. “Sooner or later, something has got to come off.
“The bigger the next fight, the better. You can only have so many warm up fights against journeymen. I know how to fight. I know what I’m doing when I get in there. Good sparring, good training and I’m ready. I only want the big fights and I want to earn a bit of money.”
Main image: Press Association.