Boxing News
COMING to terms with your first defeat in almost five years must be tough, but Salford’s recently deposed European light-middleweight champion is taking it in his stride. The overwhelming emotion Moore is feeling, after Ryan Rhodes came from behind to stop him in seven rounds almost two weeks ago is… wait for it… relief!
“I’ve watched it back,” Moore revealed. “But I didn’t have to, to know what went wrong. We knew for over week what was probably gonna’ happen because it was such a struggle with the weight. I just hoped to get through and then cross that bridge after the fight.
“I’d made the decision to move up after the fight regardless of the result. Now it’s a relief because the decision has been made for me and it’s one I should have made two years ago. I remember thinking at the end of the third, “I can’t believe I’m winning this, feeling how I’m feeing”. If Rhodes wasn’t mentally tough and had folded, I’d be stuck with a big decision. But I believe that in 12-18 months people will say, “that’s when Jamie turned his career around”.
With Moore able to loosely predict that his performance levels would not be at their usual high standard against Rhodes he thought about withdrawing from the fight.
“I considered pulling out,” Moore admitted, “but a lot people were relying on me. I know you should only think of yourself but I pulled out of a fight in the summer because I was poorly and I didn’t like the effect it had on people.
“Everyone knows my major assets are strength, conditioning and workrate, which are all dramatically reduced when you’re struggling with weight. My last few fights have finished quite early, which is good but it kept me at the weight for longer than I should have been.”
The southpaw (31 today and celebrating by eating a giant Millie’s Cookie his kids bought him) can always fall back on the consolation of being involved in a great fight.
“It’s great,” he said of the public reaction to the battle with Rhodes. “I never expected him to be able to take it, but he showed so much resilience, although there wasn’t the same snap in my punches.
“You know, I came home and even up to yesterday, people were texting me saying, “sorry, mate” but honest to God, I feel relieved; it’s absolutely crippled me for two years at least to get the last five-six pounds off.”
So to the future and despite a promise five years ago that Jamie would call it quits at the end of his 30th year, Moore feels there is plenty left in the tank and is looking forward to an exciting new chapter in his career, at middleweight.
“[Frank] Maloney and Oliver [Harrison] have been asking me to move up for years,” he revealed. “But my own goals have kept me there. I’ve been a light-middle since I was 16 and I always wanted to win a world title there.
“But me and Ryan were both in the WBC top 10 at light-middle and we put on a great fight, so I’m hoping they give me good ranking at middle. I don’t want to go back to British level, I stayed there too long at light-middle; my minimum short-term goal is the European title, which unfortunately, ‘cause he’s my mate, is held by Matthew Macklin.
“I’m hoping to have an eight-rounder at middle in January and hopefully Matt and I can get it on in the summer.”
That would represent a rematch of one of the most enthralling fights on domestic soil in many years, their Manchester war in 2006, eventually won by Moore on a 10th-round knockout. Moore would love to renew hostilities, despite the pair’s friendship.
“Me and Matt put our heart and souls on the line that night,” Moore recalled. “I might be a bit biased but I’ve seen a lot of British title fights and I think it’s one of the best as far as action and entertainment.
“When I had the British title, he was chasing me but now it’s turned around and I’m chasing him. It would be ideal if he wins a world title and we fight for it.
But I’m not worried about anyone at middleweight. I sparred Felix Sturm in 2004 and I felt I dominated, I feel I’ve got the beating of him and he’s now the WBA champion. Kelly Pavlik can punch like a mule but he’s very one-dimensional and beatable. The main question is over my size but I know I’m big enough for a middle.”
I think Macklin would reverse the first encounter I think he is naturally bigger than Jamie still would be a cracking fight, I reckon this would be huge in Ireland.
Moore Macklin 2 at Middleweight
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