The Jeff Thomas Vs Sam Webb Express

http://www.secondsout.com/news/main...-webb-sparring-his-hero-future-plans-and-more


By Danny Winterbottom: “Crazy” is the word Lytham St Annes light middleweight Jeff Thomas uses to describe the last six months of his boxing career.



In that time the 30-year-old Lancastrian has gone from Prizefighter wildcard entrant, to last minute replacement in a British title eliminator to sparring one of world boxing’s most revered figures. Not bad for a man who took five years out of the game and returned in 2011 with only modest ambition’s.



“When I first came back it was like I had something hanging over me” explained Thomas. “The intention was to have only a couple of matches to see how things went but it seemed like one opportunity after another presented itself.”



He saw his return bout with Rick Boulter in March last year end in a draw before a groundswell of online support catapulted him into Matchroom’s popular elimination tournament where he acquitted himself well despite losing his Quarter final bout on points to Kris Agyei-Dua.



In a lower key affair he fought again just before Christmas in a bout he says he wasn’t favoured to win.



“I had a good win last time out against a lad (Monsoor Wali) who is supposed to be quite dangerous. He had won three of his last four, two by knockout and was a big hitter. When I got to the venue people were saying I needed to be on my game to win but to be honest I completely dominated from start to finish, so I was really pleased with my performance.”



That brings us to March 16 and an unexpected opportunity at the expense of the ill Matthew Hall to face former British champion Sam Webb in an eliminator for the domestic 11st crown. Thomas explains how his big chance came about.



“I got a text last week from Kev (Maree) saying he had been offered another fight for me on Kenny’s undercard, and I wouldn’t believe who it was. When I found out it was Webb I was over the moon.”



Despite having been given only two weeks’ notice Thomas, a personal fitness trainer, insists his conditioning couldn’t be any better and is raring to go.



“I’m never out of the gym” he explained. “If I don’t train I feel terrible so I’m in there twice a day. Also I’ve been helping Kenny Anderson out for his fight with Groves.”



He added “I checked my training diary the other day and when I went through it I’ve been building up my training for five weeks solid, like I say the gym is my home so I will be ready on the night.”



His dedicated approach to the physical side of the sport hasn’t always been A1 though, and admits that in the early part of his career skipping training and fighting on two days’ notice wasn’t an uncommon occurrence.



“I’d get phone calls saying we’ve got a fight for you against such and such on Friday and it would be a Wednesday and I hadn’t trained but I would take the fight for the money, but that’s all changed now. Being around the likes of Kenny Anderson has changed my outlook and I’m fitter than I’ve ever been.”



Fitness is one thing but having the talent to execute a game plan on the night is the key to winning championships, along with a dose of luck, something Thomas fully appreciates.



“On paper Sam Webb should be a league above me, he’s a former champion and a good kid, but make no mistake this is a hard fight for him too. He’s been out injured for a while which will be playing on his mind and his loss to Arron will have dented his confidence, so I couldn’t be fighting him at a better time.”



He added “I was speaking to Brian Rose the other day and apparently Webb

didn’t even know he was fighting me. I had my medical done last Wednesday so I’ve known for a week I was fighting Sam Webb but he didn’t know about me which I found surprising.”



Thomas, a fighter embedded deeply in the social aspects of the sport, sees himself as a boxing fan that happens to box and is adamant that on the night he will give his all for a chance to fulfil a dream and fight for a British title.



“This won’t be a run of the mill journeyman against a champion sort of fight. I won’t be in there to just hide for eight rounds, I’m there to cause an upset and beat him and I believe I can do that.”



Lying in wait for Thomas should he spring the upset and win is friend and fellow Lancastrian Brian Rose, the reigning British 11st champion, which in its self presents a problem as the two have no intention of fighting each other.



“Brian is a good pal of mine and we certainly won’t be getting in the ring to fight each other. He would beat me anyway.” joked Thomas. “If I beat Sam Webb we will look at other opportunities down the line.”



When I last spoke with Thomas he told me that his flirtation at light middleweight was to be a one off and he was actively looking for fights down at welter or even light welter, so what has changed in six months?



“I take what chances I get offered” he said honestly. “I got offered a fight with Dean Byrne, and then they said no he’s too big. The fight with Nathan Weise was to be at 10st 7lbs but really I can do any weight between 10 and 11 stone. Ideally I’m a welterweight, that’s where I feel I would be most effective. I could do light welter at a push but I would probably lose too much muscle mass.”



Just as the Lytham man thought his week couldn’t get any better or surreal for that matter, he received a text message from trainer Kevin Maree who had news of a surprise chance to spar legendary Mexican warrior Marco Antonio Barrera.



“Kev brought him over to England to do this after dinner speaking and a few days later someone asked him if he would be interested in doing a few rounds. I got a text off Kev to say he had sorted my sparring for Tuesday, and I was like whose coming up, and he said it was Marco Antonio Barrera. I obviously thought he was joking!”



People often say you should never meet your heroes for fear of massive disappointment when they turn out to be the exact opposite to what you had imagined, but luckily for Thomas the legend that is the “Baby Faced Assassin” turned out to be just that.



“Barrera is a genuine nice guy; an absolute gentleman, you couldn’t wish to meet anyone better. Basically I got to spar with one of my all-time favourite fighters who I’ve watched so many times when we did spar it was strange, like I knew what he was going to do in the ring.”



“I believe he hadn’t been in a ring for over a year but he was still in fantastic shape and so strong for his size, I got the impression that he could have torn me to pieces at any time!”



Whilst most boxers can say the sport has changed their lives for the better not many can say boxing became teacher and educated them from a young age, Thomas explains.



“When I was younger, about eight or nine, I really struggled to read or write but I was always good at maths. Then when I was 11 or 12 I discovered boxing and I used to shoot down to the shops every Friday and pick up the Boxing News. I could hardy read it but eventually I learned to read and write using Boxing News.”



He added “Even now as an adult doing a degree I still find myself using boxing terminology when the subject has nothing to do with it, I can’t help it.”



“Jazzy Jeff” will be hoping come March 16 his education inside the ropes will be sufficient enough to pass his biggest examination to date.

 

Harder to be a fighter - sorry lads :-(