Undefeated super middleweight Derrick “Take it to the Bank” Webster (13-0, 7 KOs) will be making his long awaited return to the ring next Saturday, November 10th, fighting at the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey. The bout marks his first contest since participating in the camps of Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev, and the Garden State native is eager to show the boxing community what he learned while training with those world class fighters.
“This fight here seems different than any other fight that I’ve had,” Webster said of the bout. “Coming out of the Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev camps, I’m totally different, from the way that I shadow box, my work ethic, also my strength and conditioning. Even Denny (Brown, trainer) is seeing a lot of things that he’s been trying to show me are now being pulled out of me. My inside fight game has gotten a lot better since Andre Ward, and my power has really improved since Sergey Kovalev. He was a lot bigger than me in the camp, but I stood strong and withstood what he brought to me.”
A man who already had many tools in his arsenal, the constantly evolving Webster says that fight fans will be seeing a completely different version of him after he steps through the ropes next weekend.
“I’m more excited than ever about getting into the ring for this fight due to everything I’ve learned from these camps,” he stated. “Now, I get to show the world an entirely new Derrick Webster. The thing of it is, I’m 6-4 as a middleweight or super middleweight, so I’m tall for a boxer. There are a lot of things people think I can’t do. Put pressure on me. Stay in the pocket. Attack the body. Do whatever it is you feel that you need to do, but it’s going to take a whole lot more than that. When I’m giving world champions the type of work I’m giving and making them feel that being in the ring with me is going to take them to another level of execution against their opponents, that says something.”
Due to opponent backouts, the New Jersey southpaw last stepped in the ring back in April, defeating a tough Sabou Ballogou via unanimous decision at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City. Having to endure such a long break has only made Webster more full of anticipation for next Saturday, and he plans to show that when the opening bell sounds.
“I’m overly excited. I can’t even express how excited I am,” he confirmed. “I’ve always believed in where I thought my future was going to be, and now I’m starting to see exactly what I’m capable of doing. The people who don’t know what Take it to the Bank is all about, the ones who are sleeping on me, they are going to be woken up.”
Webster is still awaiting confirmation on his opponent for next weekend, and an official announcement is expected this week. Headlining the Millville show is Thomas “Cornflake” Lamanna (9-0, 5 KOs), with a full undercard on tap as well.