CARL Dickens says it will be a ‘dream come true’ if he defeats Sam Wall to walk away with the British Challenge Belt at Villa Park a week on Saturday.
The 32-year-old Redditch middleweight will be entering unknown territory as he contests an eight-round fight for the first time but ‘The Wallop’ says he is in peak physical condition and the longer bout – should it go that far – will not be an issue.
“This is it now for me,” said Dickens, who will once again be backed by a vocal crowd from the town having sold out of his tickets well before fight night.
“I have worked so hard to reach this stage and this is what I turned pro for, to get my hands on that first professional belt.
“There’s been some long and gruelling days over the past few months, getting up at 5am to do my sprints in the morning, going to work and then sparring afterwards, sometimes until 8pm, so I know I’ve put the work in.
“Sparring has being going really well, in fact this week I had eight rounds against eight different boxers who all boxed fresh for one round each, so I’m totally confident I will be in the best shape I can be come fight night.”
Dickens, who trains at Eastside ABC in Small Heath, Birmingham, and is today (Friday) doing eight rounds of sparring with fellow West Midlands boxer Sam Eggington, the former Commonwealth and British welterweight champion, revealed he knows very little about his opponent but is not worried by this.
“It’s about me now and making sure I put my plans into action. I’ve won all but one of my eight professional fights so take a lot of confidence from this,” added Dickens.
“Winning this fight could set me up for a tilt at a Midlands area title so there is a massive incentive for me.
“I’ve done some great work with sports massage therapist Wayne Davis and have been training twice a day, six days a week, so I just can’t wait to get into the ring now on what is a sold out show.”
Dickens would like to thank his legion of fans and also his sponsors Passion VIP, IDM Electrical, Third Party Solutions and Frielco Driving School.
