HOBSON RECONSIDERING RETIREMENT PLANS
A little over a month since questioning his future within Boxing following his 72-second loss to Enzo Maccarinelli in a failed bid for the WBO cruiserweight title, Mark Hobson is pondering a ring return in the New Year.
“I’ve been fighting since I was a teenager and it’s just in me. If I could walk away I would do but the fact is there’s potentially too much money involved for me to miss out on, plus I don’t want to go out like that,” admitted Hobson, who was nailed by a freak punch behind the ear from the Welsh banger.
“Lately I’ve been getting the urge to start punching something again. Knowing me I’ll probably be fighting until I’m 50. My family would rather I packed in, but I am what I am so lets just get on with it. I’m 30 now, in theory my best days should be ahead of me. If I was coming back at 33 / 34 it would be too late but time is still on my side at the moment,” he continued.
Hobson is targeting a rematch with current British champion John “Buster” Keeton after being installed as Keeton’s mandatory challenger following a recent meeting by the Board of Control. In June, Lonsdale belt owner Hobson stopped Keeton in the fourth in a thriller to retain his British and Commonwealth crowns despite being decked himself in round two.
“All credit to Keeton for beating (Lee) Swaby to become British champion. He’s a nice kid and he’s done brilliant. But if we fought again I think I’d smash him. There’s no way I’d allow him to knock me down again,” warned Hobson.
Hobson is now optimistic that doors will open for him providing he can return to winning ways.
“There’s the British and the Commonwealth and I’m still the WBU champion as well. Beyond that we might go for the European if David Haye vacates to fight for a world title.”
And the Huddersfield man was full of praise for his enemy’s gutsy display against Giacobbe Fragomeni in a WBC title eliminator.
“You’ve got to give praise where it’s due and Haye showed a lot of character to come back in that fight,” reasoned Hobson.
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