Rocky Fielding believes a big win over Charles Adamu on Saturday night at the Echo Arena in Liverpool will show he’s ready to move into the World scene.
Fielding defends his Commonwealth Super Middleweight title against the Ghanaian, who replaced Liverpool’s Tony Dodson for the contest. Rocky believes any future bout with Dodson is now dead in the water, but with a British title clash with Paul Smith on the cards, Fielding says a convincing performance this weekend could open some big doors.
“I think once I get this fight out of the way, and hopefully get the rounds in, then I will sit down with Eddie Hearn and plan things out.
“The British title is something I am up for and I am keen to fight Paul. I would like to know different options like an Inter-Continental title to start getting a World ranking and start getting myself up there.
“I am not saying I am passed British level, I have had 17 fights now and I have won the English, the Commonwealth, nearly everyone I have boxed has been British. I would like to start boxing some people now who are good Europeans or International fighters where I can start adapting to that style. But we will see after this fight. If it goes well I can concentrate on what happens next, and if the British is there I am happy to fight for it.
“He has to defend the title by the end of May, so that can only be the Froch vs. Groves rematch card. It wouldn’t be fair on the Liverpool fight fans because that fight would be massive in the city, it would sell out the Echo Arena, whereas not everybody would get a chance to see it if it was at Wembley. We will have to see what happens and sit down after the fight and see what options we have.
“Once I fight for an Inter-Continental title I can get a World ranking, we will see what the fight with Paul offers – the money, and the titles. It would be a big fight which could sell the Echo Arena out, but it would be a good fight to have on at Wembley on the Froch vs. Groves rematch bill.”
Former Commonwealth champ Adamu is no stranger to boxing in the UK having won the title in London against Matthew Barney in 2003 before losing it to Carl Froch in 2004. Adamu was back in London in 2009 and defeated common Fielding foe Carl Dilks for the vacant belt only to surrender the belt to George Groves the following year.
“He comes forward and likes to fight, so I will need to be on my A-game. I will need to be really focused for it because he has a good 15 KOs on his record, so we know he has a dig on him.
“I think any time he has stepped up to fight good opposition he has been beaten. He has boxed Froch and George Groves, so it will be good to get a good win over him and if I can get him out early and look good then that would be great because it would be that he took Froch 12 rounds and I got him out early.
“It is time for me to put on a good show and a good performance but Adamu is a good opponent who has taken people 12 rounds and I would like to get past six rounds because I haven’t gone past six rounds yet. I need an opponent who can get me passed six rounds and then it is up to me to see if I can get him out of there before the 12.
“Adamu seems the right opponent to get me those rounds because he is tough and rough, so it is a good fight for me in my career where I stand at the moment. He is a former Commonwealth champion himself, so it is a good fight.”
