The wait is over for super middleweight Derrick “Take it to the Bank” Webster (19-1, 10 KOs), who will make his long awaited return to the ring on Saturday, June 4th, facing Thomas Awinbono (25-4-1, 21 KOs) of Ghana at the Grundy Arena in Bristol, Pennsylvania.
“I’m definitely excited to get back in the ring,” said a relieved Webster after finally landing his next opponent. “To know that the contract has been signed and I’m actually fighting on June 4th, I’m training twice a day with no days off. I’ve been eating properly, and I’m even more focused and determined for this fight. Now that we have this date locked in, my fire has really been lit.”
Standing 6-foot-4 and moving comfortably at super middleweight, Webster opted to take a risk and somehow cut another eight pounds for his last bout. That was for a WBO NABO Middleweight title fight on ShoBox: The Next Generation against Arif Magomedov (17-0, 10 KOs), who is currently the number two ranked 160-pounder in the world by the WBC. Flu-like symptoms ultimately prevented Webster from being able to put forth his best performance that night, and Magomedov was able to secure a 10-round decision in the outing.
“I had a mishap in my last fight, so I’ve been really anxious to prove I can bounce back and let everyone know that I am still here,” Webster continued. “I’m still the baddest southpaw around, and I’ll prove that to everyone on June 4th. The guy who I am fighting has more knockouts than I have fights, but he’s never seen anything like me. He’s never witnessed anything like me, and he’s never dealt with anything like me in that ring. He’s going to regret coming over here.”
Webster has continually evolved throughout his career under head trainer Denny Brown, and the duo has been adding new wrinkles into camp as they prepare for Awinbono on June 4th.
“I’ve been focused on becoming a whole new me,” Webster remarked. “You throw one, I’ll throw four. Anything you throw, I have an answer for it. We’re always in shape, and we’re always ready to go. If I get any more will than I already have, that’s a dangerous place for anybody because there is no quit in me. I’m just staying focused on the task at hand, and that is this guy on June 4th. I haven’t had a chance to learn too much about him yet, but, when I get in there with him, it’s going to be like I know everything about him. I have an entire arsenal for him that I am just waiting to release.”
The Glassboro native will be center stage as the main attraction for the card on June 4th, a place where is very comfortable performing.
“It isn’t an overwhelming feeling to be the main event. When you know you belong in a certain place, it feels like home to you,” he stated. “My main thing is I want to go out there and give a great performance. I want to get the standing ovation that we always get, and I just want to give everybody the Take it the Bank that they know. I definitely support all of the fighters on the undercard, and I hope that everybody does well. But when it’s my time to shine and that music goes off, it’s going to be a helluva night. I’m coming to the ring a little differently this time with live entertainment handling that. We’re fighting for the American title, so I have to show to people that this is where I belong.”
