Boxing News Boxing News
Commonwealth Welter Champion Craig Watson puts his belt at risk for the second time as he meets challenger John O’Donnell at London’s famed York Hall tonight.
Although Watson at 13-2 (4) doesn’t have a record on paper to match the bigger numbers of O’Donnell at 20-1 (9), it is indeed the Manchester southpaw that has the greater experience.
As an amateur, Watson made waves by flooring future Olympic hero and professional sensation Amir Khan and the 26 year old was thrown in tough as a young pro, facing the likes of John Fewkes, Michael Lomax and Robert Lloyd Taylor by the time he’d been in his tenth contest.
Having only lost a close decision to Fewkes as a light welter, Watson went up to welter and shocked reigning Commonwealth king Ali Nuumbembe in a brutal and bloody battle in December, 2007 that was stopped in the ninth when Nuumbembe’s cuts became too severe.
But disaster struck for Watson when going for the vacant European Union belt three months later as he was stopped in three by quality Italian boxer Daniele Petrucci.
Undaunted, Watson got right back on the horse in May of last year to outwork Matthew Hatton over 12 rounds to keep the Commonwealth.
Watson has been away from the ring ever since and will have to deal with the inevitable ring rust once the bell rings tonight at York Hall.
Watson’s opponent tonight, Londoner John O’Donnell, is also a southpaw and at 5 ’11 tall, the 23 year old from Shepherd’s Bush will enjoy a height advantage in the contest.
O’Donnell wasn’t matched as tough as Watson in his early career and didn’t face a fellow undefeated opponent until his 15th bout, defeating Stuart Elwell by decision for the vacant English Welterweight title in March, 2007.
But just as Watson had suffered defeat in a foreign country after winning a title, the same fate befell O’Donnell as he was stopped in two by Mexican light middle Christian Solano in Las Vegas.
O’Donnell sat out a year after the loss, returning in May of last year to rattle off five straight victories but against lower tier competition.
Watson will undoubtedly look to test O’Donnell early and if he can negate the taller man’s reach advantage and get inside, as he did so well against Nuumbembe, he should keep the Commonwealth title.
For O’Donnell to pull of an upset in his long awaited step-up bout, he’ll have to keep moving, working off the jab and avoiding the kind of firefights that Watson will try to produce.
On the undercard, ex-British Light Welter Champ Lenny Daws, 18-1-1 (7), will go for the vacant English Light Welter crown against former Irish Lightweight titlist Peter McDonagh, 13-13 (2).
