TROY WILLIAMSON SETS SURGICALLY REPAIRED SIGHTS ON TED CHEESEMAN

TROY WILLIAMSON insists he will see off Kieran Smith in their British Super-Welterweight title final eliminator on Friday April 30, live on BT Sport.

The Darlington man will be looking at the big time if he wins and guaranteed a shot at British champion Ted Cheeseman.

Williamson (15-0-1, 11 KOs) who has recovered from recent laser eye surgery said: “Me and Cheeseman would be a war.

“We have got a similar sort of style. We can box and come forward. I think at some stage it would catch fire and be explosive.

“I’m not sure if he wants to stick around and move on. If he does, we will meet and if not I will still get my shot once I come through Kieran.

“If I get the opportunity this year I will become British champion. I don’t run my mouth because I deserve the opportunity.”

Williamson admits that Smith (16-0, 7 KOs) will be his toughest opponent to date as a professional.

The Scottish southpaw is on a revenge mission having narrowly lost against Williamson when there were amateurs at the 2015 Tri-Nations tournament.

“We are the two underestimated guys in the division and nobody wants to fight us so we’re putting it on the line fighting each other,” said Williamson

“One million per-cent this is the biggest fight for me so far as a professional.

“I’m not looking at my Tri-Nations win. It’s now smaller gloves, longer rounds and we’ve both matured as fighters. It’s still 1-0 though and that will be in the back of his head.

“I’m more explosive, I hit harder, I believe I am going to be fitter on the night. I will be mentally and physically ready just like I always am.

“As a professional I have boxed higher calibre boxers. In his last fight he boxed somebody who was unbeaten but it was a padded record and they didn’t turn up to win.

“What makes me different is that I am hungry to succeed. I am a  complete athlete. I live and breath boxing. It will show on April 30.

“Fans can expect a great fight. It will catch fire at some point and be explosive. I will win.”

Another potential opponent for Troy is a mouth-watering meeting with young unbeaten hopeful Hamzah Sheeraz, a Frank Warren stablemate.

Hall of Fame promoter Warren has been desperate to make the fight, but it has fallen through twice inside the last few months.

Williamson promised Warren: “It will happen this year or early next year.”

‘Trojan’ who has been travelling around the country with trainer Craig Carney to get top class sparring added: ”I was due to fight Hamzah last November, but I injured my eye in sparring.

“I went back to training too early after the laser eye surgery. I took a thumb in the eye and it closed up so I couldn’t train.

“It got rescheduled for last month. Then he got injured so it’s not happening.

“I think we’re Frank Warren’s best two Super-Welterweights so that fight needs to happen.

“Hamzah is a good fighter. If we boxed now I think it is a bit too early for him and I’d show a bit of man strength.

“My full focus is Kieran and we will see where we go after whether it is Cheeseman or Hamzah next.”

In the main event on the behind closed doors London card brilliant South African Moruti Mthalane (39-2, 26 KOs) defends his IBF World Flyweight championship against Croydon’s Sunny Edwards (15-0, 4 KOs), a former GB amateur team-mate of Williamson.

In a ten rounder Belfast’s Michael Conlan (14-0, 8 KOs) faces dangerous Romanian Ionut Balata (14-2, 3 KOs)

Sunny’s older brother, Charlie Edwards (16-1, 6 KOs) the former WBC World Flyweight champion has his second fight as a Bantamweight on the undercard.

FOR TROY’S FULL INTERVIEW WITH DEV SAHNI ON THE LOWDOWN CLICK HERE