On Friday 14th March at the Newport Centre, South Wales on the Steve Robinson Promotions bill ‘Enter the Dragon’, undefeated cruiserweight Craig Kennedy took on the durable Moses Matovu, in an eight round contest, for the British Masters Bronze title.
Kennedy from Cardiff, showed excellent timing and controlled the fight with his left jab and potent right-hand. Matovu of Uganda but based in Bangor, Northern Ireland is a tough journeyman, who is just as happy trading blows with heavyweights, but got a shock in the second round when a left followed by a perfect straight right hand dropped him along the ropes. Matovu beat referee Reece Carter’s count and was game through-out the contest.
Kennedy, boxed very well and negotiated the eight round distance comfortably, winning every round. Matovu, used every trick from the journeyman’s unwritten hand-book, to buy time while was always dangerous with wild swinging right-hands though Kennedy for such a big man – is very athletic and quick and on the rare occasion he caught a right hand, he was unfazed.
This was Craig Kennedy’s first professional title and the boxer known as ‘The Kid’ with the motto of ‘So much talent he’ll lend you some’, has the talent, speed and fire-power to win many more. Craig Kennedy remains unbeaten at 8-0 while Moses Matovu drops to 4-39-4.
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I caught-up with Craig, at Steve Robinson’s Gym, for his thought on the victory over Moses Matovu
Ringnews24.com: How do you feel the fight with Moses Matovu went?
It was a good performance, we went out there with a game-plan – stick behind the jab for the first three rounds and control him. As the fight went on and I returned to the corner, Steve Robinson would tell me to continue with the plan because it was quite clearly working. It was nice to get the rounds under my belt and my first title of many. I felt in total control and I didn’t really get out of third gear, so people haven’t really seen what I’m capable of doing still to this point in my career.
Ringnews24.com: It was your first eight rounder, how did you feel?
Very comfortably. It was a situation where I was in third gear, didn’t have to come-out of third gear – I could have probably done fifteen rounds at that pace. I would have maybe liked to put my foot on the gas a bit more, give people a bit more value for money – as I’m a bit of a crowd-please but this fight was for me, and the team, just to get rounds under my belt and more experience. That’s the reason we brought him in; because he’s a tough durable opponent who goes the distance. It was nice to get the rounds in.
Ringnews24.com: Could you describe the knock-down, you scored, in the second round?
It was quite shocking, even for me. We just went out get behind the jab, keep it basic, one-two, the best it would be would be one-two left hook. Steve is forever telling me ‘never to go looking for it and it will come.’ I’ve got power in both hands and it was the timing of the shot, I hit him with a fast one-two, not expecting it myself and as soon as I hit him I knew straight away.
Ringnews24.com: You stayed pretty composed and patient after you floored him?
I had them [the corner] shouting over my shoulder to stay composed, the only thing that was running through my head was that I had the initial thing of wanting to get straight on him, he was a wounded animal and I just wanted to take him out – that’s what I’m used to doing. But, I remembered why we brought him in, to get the rounds in, so I just stayed composed got back behind my jab and to be fair he was a solid opponent.
Ringnews24.com: You won the Bronze British Masters title, would you like to go for more belts?
Definitely, definitely. It’d be nice to have my next fight for a title. Now I’ve fought an eight rounder, it opens many doors, I can almost fight at any level. The prestigious belt in Wales is the Welsh title, so for obvious reasons I’d like to go for that, it’s just a bit hard at the moment with people withdrawing with injuries. I’m just going to have to wait patiently, in the meantime, I want to stay active and remain busy; I don’t want to fight anything less than six rounds. Titles are definitely this years ambition.
Ringnews24.com: When will you be back-out again?
Trying to make something happen at the end of April whether it will be in Wales, I’m not too sure as there is talk of me fighting at York Hall. It’s a venue which every fighter dreams of fighting in, so that’d be one of my dreams to fight up in York Hall.
Ringnews24.com: After the fight, what do you do the following week?
We fought on a Friday, which is a bit different, as we normally fight on a Saturday. On the weekend, I don’t drink so my treat is to fill my stomach – so that weekend I could eat what I wanted. Since Monday, in my week off, I actually still train once a day just to maintain myself – I don’t like to fluctuate and go too high with my weight. 14st 7lbs is my weight, as we speak, I weighed in at 13st 12lbs for the fight. I just look forward to getting back in camp.
