SaddoBoxing Exclusive Interview: Gary Woolcombe

SaddoBoxing caught up with fast rising British light middleweight Gary Woolcombe of Welling, England. The 25 year old London area box-fighter, 24-1 (9), makes an appearance on Frank Maloney’s promotion tonight from the Newham Lesiure Centre, headlined by the British Bantamweight title rematch between Ian Napa and Martin Power.

SaddoBoxing: Do you have an opponent for this fight yet?

Gary Woolcombe: “No, they had a couple of opponents, but they pulled out. I’m sure they’ll find me someone as it’s an eight rounder.”

SB: You looked very impressive in your last fight against Jason Rushton, how do you feel about your performance?

GW: “He’s never been stopped, had 17 wins out of 20 fights, so it was a good win for me. And that’s why I think they’re struggling to match me, because Rushton had never been stopped before and I stopped him quite convincingly. I had him out on his feet quite a few times; I had him done in the second, I really thought that I would stop him in that round but I’m glad I got the win.”

SB: Just one of your opponents has seen the end of the fight during your victories over the last two years; to what do you attribute the surge in power?

GW: “I think it’s just maturity. My first fourteen fights, they were saying that I wasn’t a puncher and I just felt that I wasn’t mature. Now the power has come with maturity and I’ve started to knock ’em out, so I am a bit of a puncher; it’s a bit weird.”

SB: Much better to have your power come later in your career, as fighters who KO everyone early can get demoralized when they run into better opponents who can take a punch.

GW: “Definitely. Martin Power, he knocked out his first ten opponents in the first or second round, where I went the distance in all my four and six rounders, so I got all the rounds under my belt for the experience. And that’s what I mean, all the knockouts are coming now, so it’s much better.”

SB: As you haven’t been assigned an opponent for this bout yet, what are you hoping for in the near future?

GW: “Hopefully there will be something happening with the British title as Jamie Moore is fighting for the European title. If he does give up the British, than I shall be next in line to fight someone else for it. If not, then I’ll fight Jamie Moore. Moore is a great all around fighter, very fit, very skilled. He’s a great fighter I think, and it would take a lot to beat him, but I believe I’ve got what it takes to beat him.”

SB: If it was solely up to you who to fight next, who would it be?

GW: “Personally, I’d like to fight Jamie Moore or [Commonwealth Champion] Bradley Pryce. I believe Anthony Small would just make me look bad, if I beat him, but I’d expect to look bad anyway, Andrew Facey, same again, even if I did box him again, he’d make me look bad, even if I did win. But why not go for all the big hard fights? I’d like to fight Wayne Alexander as well, he’s a big puncher.

“I’m just looking to get another win this weekend and then I’m sure I have a big title fight coming up after this. It’s that time now, I’ve had 25 fights, this one will be number 26 and I’m pretty sure it’s time for a big title fight.”