CARL’ The Wallop’ Dickens believes dropping down two divisions to light middleweight will benefit him hugely as he bids to return to winning ways in his mission to win a British Challenge Belt and, ultimately, a Midlands title.
The 34-year-old Redditch boxer suffered a setback to his ambitions with a one-point defeat in his previous bout and admits a number of factors contributed to his downfall.
However, he has “left no stone unturned” in his bid to bounce back at the first attempt as part of an impressive ten-fight event put together by major promoter Matchroom on June 30.
The ‘Savage Intentions’ boxing at Villa Park’s Holte Suite – spearheaded by Sam Eggington’s battle for the IBO inter-continental title against Austrian Gogi Knezevic – will be the first Birmingham small hall show for Barry and Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom and Dickens has vowed to be in tip-top condition for his big moment against an opponent yet to be confirmed.
Dickens fought at super middleweight in his last fight as he struggled to get the weight off and was eventually edged out by an opponent who was too big for him. Despite the disparity though, Dickens fought valiantly and believes he would still have emerged victorious had he not had to battle through four rounds with a perforated eardrum which affected his balance.
Dickens said: “I’ll admit, I had a few problems in camp before my last fight and I wasn’t at the right weight. I didn’t do enough preparation but I’ve learned my lesson and I’ll bounce back.
“I’m down two weights for this fight and everything is bang on target. I’m already at the same weight as my last fight with two weeks to go so there will be no problem in getting down to 11.2 or 11.3 stone.
“This is crunch time now and I’m leaving no stone unturned. I’ve been sparring intensely with Sam Eggington and Anthony Manning because this is a big chance for me. Fighting in front of Barry and possibly Eddie Hearn on a Matchroom show is a big thing and I’ve been earmarked for a title fight should I win.
“My dieting has gone really well. I’ve been up at 5am to run every day, been training 12 or 13 times a week and doing five days a week landscaping including a three-hour round trip every day.
“Strength and conditioning is on Saturdays and sparring on Sundays so it’s non-stop. My supplements and meals are on points and it’s like Groundhog Day to be honest. I couldn’t be doing any more and that’s got to be the case as I’ve learned you can’t cheat yourself in this game.”
Top support
Dickens, who boxes out of Birmingham’s Eastside gym and whose trusty vocal support will again be on his side on fight night, has prepared with some expert help.
His team includes strength and conditioning expert Jon Jones, technique work with Gary Blower and sparring and fitness with Spencer McCracken, so everything is in place for success in a fight which the orthodox fighter admits is must-win.
Dickens has a handful of his 110 tickets remaining for the event and these can be bought by searching ‘Carl The Wallop Dickens’ on Facebook and sending a direct message.
Dickens would again like to thank his sponsors IDM Electrical Midlands, Passion VIP, Joe Hill Brickwork, Faded Vapor and Heaphys.
REDDITCH fighter Andrew Robinson suffered defeat in his bid to win the WBC International Silver middleweight title.
‘D’Animal’ was overpowered by undefeated rising star Mark Heffron in the sixth round at the Manchester Arena on the Tyson Fury comeback undercard.
Robinson went into the fight in buoyant mood having won the IBO Continental belt in his last bout, whilst the match also represented a significant step up for Heffron who had never previously been scheduled to box more than eight rounds.
In a heavy-hitting fight, both boxers gave their all and Oldham’s Heffron was twice spoken to for landing low blows.
However, from the third round onwards Robinson struggled due to heavy swelling under his left eye, yet continued to give his opponent plenty to think about. Eventually though, a two-handed combination from Heffron ended matters.
