Jennings Gets a Romanian Holiday.

The roulette wheel of opponents has finally stopped for top-notch British welterweight Michael Jennings as Romanian Vasile Dragomir has been selected as his opponent for tonight’s bash in Manchester, England. Serving as chief support to headliners Michael Gomez and Steve Foster Jr., the English champion has been through a range of prospective foes from Juho Tolppola to Alan Bosworth to Dragomir, all in the space of a very short time. Regardless of whom the undefeated welterweight faces, it was always intended to be a tune up fight before the bigger and better contests just over the horizon for the twenty-seven-year-old. Problem is that those are sometimes the most dangerous fights of all.

Read on for this essential interview with Michael Jennings and his trainer Brian Hughes, yet another SaddoBoxing.com exclusive.

Jennings goes into the match with Dragomir fresh off a fifth round drubbing of the heavy-handed Chris Saunders back in October, in which the Chorley man had to climb off the canvas to prevail. Jennings’ trainer Brian Hughes doesn’t put much stock in the trip to the canvas however as he says, “Saunders was a big southpaw puncher who caught Michael and put him down. I think it was more of a slip but he had to take an eight-count. After that there was only one man in the fight, and I mean Michael, until Brendan Ingle did the right thing and stopped it because his man was getting a bit of a lashing.”

A lot of fighters are thrown off base by late changes in their opponents but Jennings has maintained a positive outlook on the situation. One of the factors that allows him to take things as they happen is the environment that Brian Hughes has cultivated in his Manchester gym. “There’s only so much you can do about watching videos of your opponent,” said Jennings. “When it comes down to it, fights normally don’t go to plan anyway, so I’m not bothered. I’ve been sparring with David Barnes, Tommy McDonagh, Robin Reid and the rest of them so I’m fit and feeling good at the minute. We have all different weights and all different styles in the gym. We’ve got southpaws and orthodox fighters, we’ve got counter punchers; we’ve got it all really. They’re all very good and it’s brilliant for preparing for a fight.”

Dragomir isn’t likely to trouble Jennings much. The twenty-four-year-old Romanian from Bucharest has lost two of fourteen fights, both by stoppage, despite having faced modest European opposition, mostly in his homeland. A former Romanian lightweight champion, Dragomir will be fighting in Britain for the first time in his career and will likely get a frosty reception from the partisan crowd. Whatever the situation, Hughes has faith in the adaptability and skill of his fighter, forged in his high level Collyhurst gym. “This fight doesn’t bother me,” said the trainer. “Because Michael has six or seven different lads he spars with who, without putting anyone down, are far better technique-wise than Dragomir. We only just now found out about whom the opponent will be so we’ve been working on some drills and things. It might be a tough fight but Michael Jennings will find the answers to win it.”

Should Jennings prevail in tonight’s fight as widely expected, an early March appearance in Widnes, England on a Matthew Hatton card will be next. The opponent scheduled for that date is one of the abortive dance partners for tonight’s fight, Juho Tolppola, a Finnish native whom Jennings already has some rough familiarity with. “I’m looking forward to fighting Tolppola because I think that would be a learning fight for me,” said a man who has yet to taste defeat in twenty-four bouts. “He’s got a lot of experience and he’s one of these European fighters who had a good amateur record. David Barnes completely out-boxed him but I’m a different style to David and it might be a completely different fight. It would be good for me but I’ve got to get thisone doneon Friday first.”

There has been a lot of talk of Jennings facing stable-mate Barnes for the latter’s British title but Hughes doesn’t want a scenario where two of his brightest prospects are faced off against each other in a trainer’s cannibalistic nightmare. “While I’m in charge of both Michael and David, they won’t meet each other,” stated Hughes firmly. “There’s different avenues to take rather than do something like that. We were talking about a WBO chance for Michael but we’ll have to see about that. It’s what we’d really like but we’ll do what’s right when the time comes.”

Jennings is a former WBU International titlist and currently wears the English crown but knows that contending for a major world title will be a huge jump up in class from the fighters he’s been in with so far. With Antonio Margarito the champion and Kermit Cintron the interim champion, Jennings will certainly have his work cut for him if he is to indeed trade in this upper echelon of the division.

“I’m ranked number three by the WBO!” exclaimed Jennings. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw that, I thought they’d misprinted it (laughs). I am ranked number three so I’ll just wait and see. If I keep winning and if things keep going as to plan, hopefully a title shot will come off. If it does and I have to go fight in America, I don’t mind, it would be a good experience because I’ve never been to the States and I’d like to go, especially to fight there. Really, I’m not bothered as to where I fight and I just go where they tell me. Whoever I meet down the road, I think I’ve got a chance. It usually takes me a round or two to figure someone out and then once I get into my groove, then that’s it. If I can do that, I think I’ve got a good chance against anyone.”

Richard Eberline can be reached at richardeberline@fastmail.fm