Avoided middleweight Nick Blackwell meets fellow dangerman Sergey Khomitsky this Saturday night (October 25) in Monte Carlo and knows full well victory will tee him up for a shot at the British middleweight title in the New Year.
The Trowbridge man has been guaranteed the winner of the November 29 grudge match between Billy Joe Saunders and Chris Eubank Jr and is eager to get his hands on the prestigious Lonsdale belt. But first he must overcome the considerable threat of Belarusian Khomitsky, who only recently shattered the unbeaten record of Frank Buglioni on these shores.
“When the fight came up, I took it straight away,” said Blackwell, who meets Khomitsky over eight rounds. “It’s the perfect fight for me.
“I watched Khomitsky against Buglioni and immediately it was a fight I wanted. He comes forward, he’s strong, he’s tough, but he’s not that quick. He has given world-class fighters like Martin Murray and Robert Stieglitz very hard nights, but I think I can look really good against him.
“I know he’ll try to push me on my back foot but I don’t really ever get put on my back foot. Even when I spar people like Carl Froch, who is bigger than me, I’m the one putting it on him.
“If Khomitsky manages to put me on my back foot, fair play to him. That shows how strong he is. But I don’t see it happening. I think he’ll be shocked by my speed and strength. I’m going to hit him harder than he expects.
“The plan is to go out there and take the first round as if it’s the last. I want to be on him straight away. I’m quite a slow starter, so I’ll be warming up and doing a bit of sparring in my changing room before the fight. That will get a nice sweat going and allow me to jump on Khomitsky from the off.
“I’m going in there to try and knock him out. I’m not going in there expecting to go the distance just because he’s a tough Belarusian. I’m looking to do a better job on him than anyone else has.”
Though the fight with Khomitsky takes place on foreign soil, Blackwell still expects a fair amount of support on the night. After all, he will be sharing the card with two other Brits, Stuart Hall and Martin Murray, who are also involved in vital fights at bantamweight and middleweight respectively.
“I was out in Monte Carlo when Martin boxed Max Bursak in his last fight,” said Blackwell. “It’s a different world. It’s a really nice place with lots of money flying about.
“I get on with Martin and his dad and brothers and they’ve assured me his fans will get behind me on the night, which is nice. I’ll feel like I’m fighting in St. Helens rather than Monte Carlo.
“The main thing for me, though, is that my fight will be on Channel 5. That means a lot of people at home will be able to watch me. The fact it’s in Monte Carlos is just a bonus. It’s not a bad place to make your Channel 5 debut, is it?”
*** Nick Blackwell meets Belarusian dangerman Sergey Khomitsky this coming Saturday (October 25) at the Salle des etoiles, Monte Carlo, Monaco, on Channel 5 ***
