Darren Townley is determined to get back to his best on Errol Johnson’s ‘No Love Lost: War of the Roses’ show in Plymouth on Saturday, 11th February writes James Eley.
The Plymouth Pugilist impressed when he turned professional in 2015 and went on to win his first four successive contests. The super lightweight was soon being tipped for big things but disaster struck last time out when he suffered a shock against Welshman Henry Janes.
That was back in October and Townley told uko-boxing.com that he can’t wait to get back in the ring in his hometown and right a wrong.
“It is brilliant to be back in Plymouth,” he admitted. “Fair play to Errol Johnson and his team, they are really doing a good job bringing boxing back and it is really kicking off here now. I think the last few shows have all been sell-outs so they are doing a really good job bringing shows to Plymouth.
“I had my first couple of fights up in London and as good as it is boxing out of York Hall, it is really hard to sell tickets up there. Having it in my home town is brilliant because all of my family and friends will be there and it makes it a lot easier to sell tickets.
“It is massively important to get a win here. I have my reasons why I didn’t perform last time. I felt as flat as a pancake in my last outing but I am not going to sit here and make excuses. Actions speak louder than words and I will go out and prove what I am about in this next fight. Everyone that saw the fight that night said it wasn’t me who was in there and it wasn’t how I normally perform, so I will work as hard as I can like I always do in training for a fight and I will go out there and make sure I perform on the 11thof February.
“We have definitely done things differently in the build up to this fight. We had a lot of things that were causing a lot of stress when we got close to the fight last time. We have made sure we have eliminated them this time and we have a nice and relaxed camp and making sure we are doing everything right.”
‘The Terminator’ will face veteran Matt Seawright at the Guildhall. The Tamworth-based Scot has been in the ring over 150 times and brings plenty of experience. However the 38-year-old has only tasted victory in five of those contests and Townley knows he will be expected to get the result if he is serious about making the step up.
“I have Matt Seawright which is a perfect fight for me to get back to winning ways,” he admitted. “He is a bit tricky by the looks of it and I will never underestimate anyone. I will take it as a hard fight and I will train hard for it. Obviously anyone can cause an upset so I will make sure I am ready for anything.
“He is very experienced and from what I have seen he is tricky. He keeps his hands down and he has good head movement but we have worked out a good game-plan for dealing with him. I think without a doubt I will be coming away with the win.
“After this fight there have been talks of a Challenge belt so ideally I would like to go for that next time out. This will be the second six-rounder I have done and going to eight wouldn’t be a problem for me. I do eight rounds in sparring so I would be happy to step up to that and box for a Challenge Belt if it is available. My aim now is to look at each fight one by one and make sure they are all wins for a good 2017.
“I would just like to thank everyone who has helped me in the preparation for this fight. In particular my sponsors D&N Services, Tom Hooper painting and decorating, JEM scaffolding, Total-Rebuild, Boundless clothing, Plymouth Life Centre, Fuel Catering and Kyle Simpson Sports Therapy.”
‘No Love Lost: War of the Roses’ takes place at Plymouth Guildhall on Saturday, 11th February. The show is sponsored by Grosvenor Casino Plymouth, who host the weigh-in and Aftershow Party.
Des Newton tops the bill as he takes on Jamie Quinn for the British Challenge Lightweight Title.
Also in action are Exeter welterweight, Faheem Khan, Launceston bantamweight, Marcus Hodgson, and Plymouth welterweight debutant, Dean Riley. Plymouth welterweight, Jack ‘The Ripper’ Bellingham, and Launceston welterweight, Wes Smith, no longer feature due to injury.
Tickets for ‘War of the Roses: No Love Lost’ are £30 or £50 Ringside and are available by calling: 07793 016 572. Doors open at 6:30pm with boxing commencing at 7:30pm at Plymouth Guildhall, Armada Way, Plymouth, PL1 2AA.
The weigh-in and Aftershow Party (over 18’s only) take place at Grosvenor Casino Plymouth, Derry’s Cross, Plymouth, PL1 2SW (just a two-minute walk from the Guildhall). Find out more about Grosvenor Casino Plymouth here: http://www.grosvenorcasinos.com/local-casinos/plymouth/
