British featherweight champion Ryan Walsh is geared up for the biggest fight of his career when he meets an in-form Jazza Dickens in the lucrative Golden Contract 126lbs final at the Production Park Studios in Wakefield on September 30.
Walsh (26-2-2, 12 KOs) has impressed in the eight-man tournament, halting Hairon Socarras before dropping and outscoring the crafty Tyrone McCullagh to reach the final.
Yet Liverpool’s Dickens (29-3, 11 KOs) arguably produced the performance of the competition by outfoxing and outfighting tournament favourite Leigh Wood in his semi and Cromer’s Walsh is expecting the final pairing to live up to its high expectations.
“This is do or die. This is my life and everybody that knows boxing knows that this is going to be a good fight,” said Walsh.
“The delay {due to the Covid-19 Pandemic] has meant we’ve had more time to look at Jazza and we’ve been lucky enough to get good sparring in to mimic different aspects of him.
“Even with everything going on over the last few months, I never got out of the swing of things. I was always running in the morning or evening, and training throughout the day, so it hasn’t affected me and I’m more than ready.
“The fight deserves a crowd, and it would have been greater with a crowd, but it won’t define me one way or the other and I’m going to win.”
Walsh-Dickens will be broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports, in association with Matchroom Boxing, and the US on ESPN+, in association with Top Rank. The same show will also feature the Golden Contract super-lightweight final, pitting Ohara Davies against rival Tyrone McKenna, as well as the light-heavyweight semi between Liam Conroy and Serge Michel.
Main image: Dickens (left) and Walsh look set to produce a terrific final. Photo: MTK Global.