Thaxton over the moon with Euro title shot by Kevin Taylor Feb 22nd 2008

Jon Thaxton is hoping he will be able to claim the European lightweight title in his hometown of Norwich on April 4 after landing a prize fight with current champion Yuri Romanov. "Mick Hennessy told me if I kept winning he would get me the big fights, and he has kept that promise." said the British lightweight champion. "The venue should be decided in the next few days and I am hoping that it will be in Norwich, it will be a great occasion and I hope to have my home supporters behind me. "I'd be the first Norwich born fighter to win the British and European titles and to do it in my hometown would be marvellous." Thaxton returned to the ring in October 2004, after a shoulder injury had forced him to 'retire' from the sport two years earlier, and is unbeaten in nine fights since outpointing Silence Saheed in his comeback fight, picking up the WBF title and the more prestigious Lonsdale belt along the way. "If you had told me when I fought Silence Saheed back in 2004 that by now I would be British champion and have a chance to win the European title, I would have said 'Yeh Whatever'. "There were also a lot of people who laughed at me when I said I was making a comeback, I have proved a lot of people wrong." Thaxton was due to meet Amir Khan in a defence of his British title and a challenge for Khan's Commonwealth title, but the Bolton fighter pulled out of the purse bid procedure the day before they were due in, with Khan instead opting to fight Gairy St. Clair. "They said Khan was going to fight in America or for the European title, but he has ended up fighting Martin Kristjensen in Bolton in April. "No disrespect to Kristenjensen, but if you ask most people who they would rather see Khan in with, Romanov, Thaxton or Kristenjensen, I am sure most would plump for the first two, it is the boxing fan who is missing out. Khan should really be asking his management team what is happening." Thaxton has defended his British title twice and is one fight away from owning the Lonsdale belt outright. However, his last two performances - although both stoppage wins - haven't been vintage Thaxton and many feel that the Romanov fight is a step too far for the Norwich fighter. Thaxton, though, sees it differently. "I know I can beat Romanov. I always struggle with tall, gangly fighters like Stewart and Lawton, but Romanov is around the same height as me and I always fight better against people around the same height or smaller than me," he explained. "Romanov's manager Philip Fondu is already talking about the fact that Romanov can rebuild his career if he loses, which seems to be a strange thing to say, so they are obviously not confident." Before Romanov lost to Graham Earl, he had been something of a scourge to British fighters having beaten the then British champion Bobby Vanzie, putting him down five times, and also defeating Steve Murray and Steve Conway. "I do believe Graham Earl fought Romanov at just the right time. That was a great bit of management by his manager Frank Maloney as Romanov had been out of the ring for fifteen months," Thaxton says. If Thaxton does beat Romanov it will also give him a number one rating with the WBC and he doesn't dismiss that idea that he could fight for a World title before his rival Amir Khan. "Yes, of course that is a possibility, but at the moment I am concentrating on winning the European title and then defending my British title against Lee Meager, who is my mandatory challenger, to try to win the Lonsdale belt outright. "I'm super-fit and ready for April 4th. I am so excited by this fight and it is sure to be a great one."

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Come on Jono! Feb 27th 2008, 05:39:01 by icenione Can't wait for Jono's fight on April 4th, the City will be buzzing! Jono deserves a real big supporting crowd for this one. Once Lee Meager has been dealt with, bring on Amir ' I only fight pushovers' Khan !!!