Razor sharp Woods closes gym doors

IBF light heavyweight champion Clinton Woods has ordered the doors locked and the shutters down while he is training at his Gleadless, Sheffield gym.

Ordinarily, well-wishers and Sheffield school kids regularly stand inside the Morland Road gym and watch their Steel City champion spar or whack the heavy bags.

However, with the rubber match with Glen Johnson now only a fortnight away, Woods is preparing in absolute secrecy for his third fight with “the Road Warrior’ at the Bolton Arena on September 2.

Woods, who is 0-1-1 against Johnson thus far, said: “I can’t tell you how important, how serious this fight is to me. I’ve already said I consider Johnson to be the No.1 fighter in the division and myself as the challenger in this fight. This is my World Cup final, the fight which will decide whether I can go from being one of the top fighters at light heavyweight to being the undisputed No.1 in the division.”

The Man of Sheffield Steel added: “I’m happy to speak with reporters, the media, whoever before and after training but when I am in the gym, I’m there to work full blast from the second I get through the door to second I leave. I’m peaking, my focus is sharper than it has been for any other fight.”

Trainer Richard Poxon has been working with Woods on tweaking and adapting the champion’s style in order to pose Johnson a completely different set of problems in this third fight between the world’s two leading light heavies.

Woods added: “After sharing 24 rounds with Johnson I have an idea what to expect from him. He always comes storming right out of the gates in the first round. He may try that again, he might not, but if he does he’s in for a nasty surprise.”

Asked to respond to comments this week from Team Johnson that Woods has not improved since Johnson outpointed him back in February 2003 Woods said only: “Fair enough, but ask them that again half way through the first round and they“ll give you a different answer.”

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