Exclusive Interview: Jamie Moore.

Jamie Moore is the current British light middleweight champion and is certainly regarded as one of Britain’s hottest prospects for world domination. In the domestic light middleweight division, southpaw Moore has amassed a professional record of twenty wins with only two losses with thirteen of his victories coming

from stoppages and he’s a man on a mission to earn even more. Not only has he got his eyes on the European title, world titles and his domestic rivals but first and foremost in his mind, he wants to make history by becoming the first man from his home town of Salford to win and keep the coveted Lonsdale belt when he faces Michael Jones tonight at the Altrincham Leisure Centre in Manchester, England. Adding a little spice to the encounter is the fact that Jones is out for revenge being that his only career loss to date came in a previous fight against Moore. After losing his last fight to Ossie Duran thanks to an injury in training, Moore is keen to get back to winning ways and step up the pace in his career. Jamie Moore was gracious enough to take time away from his preparations so close to the fight to speak one on one with me for Saddoboxing.com. Read on for this essential exclusive.

Saddoboxing: Are you looking forward to the fight?

Jamie Moore: Yes I’m really looking forward to it mate I can’t wait. I’ve got a bit of local history to make. I’ll be the first person from Salford to ever have won a Lonsdale belt, so I’m really looking forward to it. I can’t wait to give the fans a good fight and come home with the belt.

SB: It means a lot to you then?

JM: Yeah, yeah. They’ve sort of made a big thing of it down here. No one’s ever had a Lonsdale belt from Salford never mind the chance to keep it. I could be the first in a hundred-year history of the title, so it’ll be a proud moment tomorrow when I win the belt outright.

SB: How is training going?

JM: Yeah it’s been great. I’ve not had any injuries or hiccups as I have done in the last couple of fights. For the first time I’m feeling in great shape, so I’m really looking forward to it.

SB: How was the weigh in today?

JM: It was good. I was ten stone thirteen (pounds) and fifteen ounces and Jones was bang on eleven stone.

SB: Is there anything in the gym you’ve specifically worked on?

JM: Not really to be honest. My style has always been suited to box taller people, at amateur and professional. Obviously we’ve had certain issues that we’ve dealt with, because we’ve got the opportunity this time to box with a game plan, whereas we didn’t have much time to prepare last time as I got the fight at five days notice. So we’ve been able to work on different things and I’m confident that I can do a better job this time than I did last time.

SB: You’ve fought Michael Jones before will this fight be any different to the last time?

JM: Well I’m hoping that I can do a better job on him to be honest his style isn’t going to alter too much. He will be better I’m going to presume, because obviously I’m the only person to have beaten him and it maybe his last chance because he’s thirty now, but I just can’t see….as long as I box to how I can box, and do my job tomorrow night, I just can’t see him beating me.

SB: In his last fight against Darren Rhodes, he was put down and came back to win, what did you make of that?

JM: To be honest, I just thought that Darren Rhodes showed a bit of inexperience at winning a big fight really. He had him in trouble and sort of rushed in and tried to do the job and left his chin exposed. I think it was more of Darren Rhodes inexperience to finish the job off. You’ve got to give credit to Jones he got up off the floor and picked his shots well as Darren Rhodes was coming in trying to finish him and turned the fight on its head so you’ve got to give him respect for that. I think he added another side to his game because before that I don’t think people thought he was that dangerous, and I think that’s what Darren Rhodes was thinking when he rushed in to finish him.

SB: Do you think Jones is an improved fighter since you last fought him?

JM: No I wouldn’t say he’s improved. I’ve seen him for years, even since he was an amateur and his style’s always been same I wouldn’t say he’s improved. He’s done really well to get himself in this position and no one can say he doesn’t deserve his shot at the British title so you’ve got to give him credit for that but I wouldn’t say he’s improved.

SB: You lost your last fight which was against Ossie Duran inside three rounds, what happened there?

JM: I’d injured me hip in training the week before, but it wasn’t that bad, so I did a few little training sessions to make sure it was okay. we were going to pull out of the fight to be fair, but I sort of said no I’ll be ok, so we went through with the fight. During the fight I sort of missed a shot and stamped on the floor and it caused a partial tear of the tendon which attaches me thigh muscle to me hip joint, so that was really painful. I had to turn orthodox because I have to put all my weight on me back foot which is me left leg, so I turned orthodox and the fight went down hill from there I couldn’t really do anything. The ref was gonna pull me out at the end of the second round but I asked him not to I said just give me another round to see if I can pull it out of the bag and he caught me with a good shot and the ref stopped it instantly just said I’m not going to let you take any shots,
You’re in no position to fight.

SB: Do you regret not pulling out of that fight?

JM: To be honest no. We’ve seen it in boxing before, one punch can change a fight and who’s to say I couldn’t have gone out there and hit him with a great shot and took him out? In my mind I’ve got a loss on my record but it’s down to an injury and really the only genuine defeat I’ve got on my record is to Scott Dixon, that’s how I look at it.

SB: Would you like to fight Ossie Duran again?

JM: Yeah I would like to straighten the record up. I’m hoping to be honest after this to get a European title fight. I want to try and go the traditional route, do it the same way Michael Brodie did. When I was growing up watching him do it. I think it’s the best way to learn and bring you on to genuine world class, with sort of styles and fights that you’re in I think that’s the next step. After that whether it be just a ten-round fight in chief support to somebody else, I’d love to set me record straight and to prove to everyone I shouldn’t have a loss on my record to Ossie Duran and I can beat him.

SB: You want to go the European route but there are quite a few names on the domestic scene, like Richard Williams, Takaloo, Wayne Alexander, What do you think of those guys and would you want to fight any of them next?

JM: I’d love to fight “em. I’d love to fight “em. I’m a big believer in giving the British boxing public the fights they want to see. I grew up watching Benn Vs. Watson, Benn Vs. Eubank and Watson Vs. Eubank and it’s great that was the sort of thing that got me excited about boxing in the first place and I think that’s what’s missing, genuine 50/50 fights. And really I want to be involved in them and some people might not call this a 50/50 fight between me and Michael Jones but it’s definitely a verycompetitive fight for a genuine title. I’d love to defend after this if I couldn’t get a European title shot I’d love to defend against Richard Williams. It’d be a good fight for the public.

SB: The boxers and promoters in the division have been criticized in the past because there are a lot of big names in the division…..

JM: Yeah and they don’t pair “em together…

SB: Is that a promotional issue, and an issue with management rather than an issue with boxers?

JM: Yeah I’d say so. I think if you asked Wayne Alexander or Richard Williams if they wanted to fight me they’d say yeah. I don’t think there’s any two ways about it. Maybe for those guys, they’re looking for the big payday because they’re coming to the end of their career and want to try and move on. But who’s to say you can’t get good money fighting a good domestic fight. I think it’d be better for us and for boxing.

SB: What did you make of the Wright-Mosley fight last week end?

JM: I’ve not seen it to be honest I meant to set my video recorded and I forgot but a pal of mine is sending me the tape. But I’ve read about it on the internet and as far as I can make out it was pretty similar to last time but Mosley was a bit better, but he was far short from beating “Winky’ Wright. That would be fantastic for me because he’s beaten two of my mates who I looked up to in Steve Foster and Ensley Bingham when he was over here, and it would be great for me to get him at the end of his career and beat him before he retires.

SB: It was a good fight Mosley threw more combos this time but Wright had his number from the off.

JM: He’s a class act. He’s got a fantastic jab. Solid as well, he’s really big for the weight.

SB: Do you hope to get in with the like of these guys soon?

JM: Definitely. I’d like to win the European title but twelve to eighteen months down the line it gives you a top ten ranking if you’re European champion, make a couple of defenses and sort of get settled at that level and then take the step up again. I don’t see why not.

SB: So the Sky is the limit?

JM: I’d say so yeah definitely. I’m only young, I’m twenty-six and coming into my prime.

SB: Who do you think will win the fight between Morales and Barrera?

JM: Everyone’s picking Morales. Obviously it’s a close fight and they’re going for it based on the size difference saying that he’ll (Morales) be better at super feather but I just go for Barrera. I’ve seen a lot of training tapes as well of Barrera and Morales and I’m going to go for Barrera. I think it’ll be points again but I think Barrera will win it.

SB: Well I’ve gone for Morales by late stoppage so I hope you’re wrong.

JM: [Laughs]

SB: Is there anything else you’d like to talk about?

JM: No, not really. All that’s on me mind is that I’m focused on this fight.

SB: Thanks very much for talking to us and we wish you the best of luck.

JM: Great stuff thanks very much pal.