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| Junaid Bostan is targeting a highlight reel knockout when he meets Bilal Fawaz for the vacant English Super-Welterweight Title at indigo at The O2 this Friday – shown live worldwide on DAZN. The Rotherham talent has stopped eight of his ten opponents to date since joining the professional ranks back in March 2022 and the 22-year-old southpaw is predicting another early finish against London’s Fawaz. “I know I possess the skills, the ability and the power to stop him,” said Bostan. “If that comes, happy days. I love knocking my opponents out. Clearly, after my last few performances, I’m getting into the highlight reel knockout stage. If you go looking for it, it won’t come. I’ll ping his head off for ten rounds if I have to. He’s there to be hit, is all I’m going to say. Let’s just see how his chin keeps up for ten rounds. We’ll see. “It’s his Cinderella moment. Bilal is 35 or 36. This is make or break for him. This is his moment in his mind. Unfortunately, his moment isn’t going to come with me. In order to get where I need to get, I need to stop another man getting to where he needs to get. Unfortunately for him, he’s in my way. “Bilal is experienced. I know he had a very good amateur background – over 90 fights. He’s a little awkward. Nothing I can’t deal with. He’s got a lot of things to worry about when it comes to me. I’ll let him deal with the worry.” ‘Star Boy’ has the opportunity to add a second belt to his collection, following his eighth-round knockout win over Jack Martin to claim the Commonwealth Silver Title in Liverpool last April, but the Steel City Gym fighter insists he is solely focused on his latest opponent – not the belt. “The English Title has some sentimental value but if I’m honest with you, I pay no mind to it. If you focus too much on the reward, you forget about the task at hand. For me, it’s just a fight against Bilal Fawaz. Once I’ve done a number on him, I can then reap the rewards and enjoy them. “Win. That’s all that matters. Win. I’ve got my man in front of me, and I’ve got to deal with him. I can reap the rewards after. Right now, I’m not thinking about the English Title. I’m thinking about dealing with my man and what I need to do in order to beat him. Just win, and everything else will guide me. “I feel like I’ve always had that mindset in place. I just feel when you’re young and naïve you want to jump the gun sometimes and you get overeager. I’ve got to take it one step at a time. Right now, it’s the English Title. After that, what will come will come. “The last 12 months had its ups and downs. Despite all of the ups and downs I performed very well under the lights. In my last two fights I got two stoppages. Both with the left hand, both stances. I’ve done my thing under the lights, but I feel like I’m maturing outside of the ring. I just need to keep on maintaining what I’m doing under the lights and everything else will pay off.” Bostan shares this Friday’s NXTGEN card with a former amateur opponent in George Liddard, who beat him on a split decision at the England Boxing National Youth Championships 2020 Finals, and a future match-up with the Billericay Middleweight excites him. “Shout out to George. He’s a very good fighter and he’s been performing very well. Obviously, he’s a weight above me. If my skinny ass is asked to move up at some point, of course that’s a fight to be made down the line. I’ve got Bilal in my way, and I need to deal with him. “It was a good fight in the amateurs. The f****r got me with a split decision. He’s doing his thing. At the end of the day that’s part of the experience, part of the plot, and if we do meet down the line it’ll make it sweet when I get him.” Bostan vs. Fawaz is part of Matchroom’s first NXTGEN card of 2025, Billericay’s George Liddard (10-0, 6 KOs) meets Derrick Osaze (13-2, 3 KOs) for the Commonwealth Silver Middleweight Title, Brentwood Middleweight Jimmy Sains (8-0, 8 KOs) fights France’s Pierre Rosadini (6-6-3) over eight rounds, Aldershot Super-Featherweight Giorgio Visioli (5-0, 4 KOs) looks to kick the year off in style against Mexcio’s Francisco Javier Lucero (16-6-4, 12 KOs), Newham Middleweight Leli Buttigieg (6-0, 1 KO) squares off with Welshman James Todd (4-4-2) over six rounds, Cardiff Super-Middleweight Taylor Bevan (1-0, 1 KO) faces Poland’s Szymon Kajda (1-0-1, 1 KO) over six rounds in his second pro fight, Coinsdale Super-Lightweight Jesse Brandon (4-0, 1 KO) fights Estonia’s Semjon Kamanin (5-2, 3 KOs) over six rounds and Eltham Flyweight Maiseyrose Courtney (7-1) kicks off the Before The Bell action against Serbia’s Jasmina Nad (11-33-5, 4 KOs). |
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