Esham Pickering: "I'm due some recognition"

Esham Pickering: “I’m due some recognition”

By Andrew Wake: British super-bantamweight champion Esham “Brown Sugar” Pickering sees a win over Matthew Marsh at York Hall, Bethnal Green on Friday night as a way of proving the doubters wrong and earning some long overdue recognition.

“Everybody thinks it’s the right time for him [Marsh] to fight me, but it’s the wrong time and I’ll prove that on the night,” Pickering said. “I’m not going to predict a round, but I know that I’ll win by knockout.

“He’s a fit lad and he’s gonna be coming to win the belt. He’s very determined and I’m sure he’s gonna be up for it, but I can beat him anyway he wants to do it. I can outbox him, I know that, but I’m probably gonna turn it into a war. I’m the harder puncher and I’ll show it.

“I’ve got to prove my point, not talk too much and make sure that my actions speak louder than my words.

“I want to prove that my best form is still to come and that there’s at least four or five years left in me.

“I’ve won the European title and defended it twice. I’ve won the British title and this fight is to win it outright, so I think I’m due some recognition after this.

While the 31 year old from Newark is not underestimating Marsh, he does admit that he has one eye on a possible match up with Midlands rival and current European super-bantamweight champion Rendall Munroe, but is quick to correct suggestions that he has bad mouthed the Leicester bin.

“I’ve got no animosity towards Rendall at all and I haven’t said a bad word about him,” Pickering stated. “I’m happy that he’s won the European title because it creates a lot of interest in a fight between us.

“I’ve heard him say that he doesn’t want to take a step back to fight me. I’ve been European champion, I’m looking to win the British title outright and I’ve boxed for a world title so that is not a step back. That’s a step forward for him. Salem Bouaita was a step back, not me.”

He added: “It’s a big local fight that will be good for British boxing and I hope it comes off but I’ve to concentrate on Matthew Marsh first.”

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