Booth in the dark over African mystery man by Tom Podmore Mar 5th 2008

Commonwealth bantamweight champion Jason Booth hopes a victory in his next fight, a defence of his crown on Frank Maloney's impressive-looking bill at Nottingham's Harvey Hadden Leisure Centre, will lead to him getting a crack at a strap he is desperate to procure – the European 118lb title. The 30-year-old pocket-size battler from Nottingham defends his title for the first time on the undercard of Rendall Munroe's challenge for Kiko Martinez's European super-bantamweight title on Friday night (March 7) and is already looking ahead to rubber matches and European title fights before he hangs his gloves up for good. First, however, he must keep his eyes locked on little-known Lante Addy, a Ghanaian who arrives in England with an undefeated five-fight (although there have been various reports of him being unbeaten in 11, unbeaten in 14 and only losing one of 16) record, three before the final bell has tolled. And whilst many have raised their eyebrows over the quality and worthiness of his latest opponent, Booth – never one to take an opponent lightly – is full of respect for the mysterious African puncher. He knows too well that unknown fighters (think Jackson Asiku and Tshifhiwa Munyai) can come over and upset the apple cart. “Tell you the truth, I don't know a single thing about him,” admitted the entertaining and always-animated East Midlander of his Accra-based opponent, the current WBO Intercontinental bantamweight boss. “No idea what he looks like, boxes like or if he is puncher. I must give him the respect of the unknown fighter. “But I beat that Ntonela for the vacant IBO title and he could punch, putting me on the floor. All the Africans are very hungry fighters – very tough and very, very hard to beat. I have been in with a few over the years and you just have to take your time and outbox them.” The 12-round split decision over South African southpaw Lunga ‘Mad Dog' Ntonela in 2003 was the last time Jason fought at his personal fortress, Bilborough's Harvey Hadden, by the way. He is looking forward to getting the buzz back, getting the feeling of an expectant home crowd cheering him on at the venue he has graced on five occasions (twice as the main attraction). He also won and defended Commonwealth and IBO titles at the Leisure Centre, great highs for the man who believes he should have achieved a lot more already, including holding the European belt. Booth, in fact, still holds a deal of resentment over the three reversals in EBU title attempts (all on foreign soil). He reeled off 14 successive wins (six early) from 1996-1999 before coming up short against unbeaten David Guerault in France. Jason had never been beyond six rounds yet still managed to deck the European flyweight boss, who had stopped another Englishman, Bury puncher Ady Lewis, four fights earlier, heavily in the seventh. Booth is adamant he deserved the nod. Another six wins (three years) followed the first defeat, including winning and defending the British and Commonwealth flyweight titles (one against Ian Napa), before getting a second try at the European 112lb title, this time against experienced Russian stylist Alexander Mahmutov in Spain. Booth felt he had done enough to take the belt with him back to the East Midlands, winning most of the rounds from the sixth onwards. However, the judges didn't see it that way and handed the former WBA and future WBO world title challenger a unanimous decision. But he wouldn't have to wait too long for the third crack. After a routine six-round points win over former victim Jason Thomas, Booth travelled to France to take on Mimoun Chent. Luck wasn't on his side yet again, Moroccan-born Chent escaping with a technical decision in the seventh after suffering cuts on both eyes. Booth said of Guerault: “I remember that no-one wanted to fight him. I was the only one out of Peter Culshaw and Damaen Kelly who would go over and fight him. He gave me a bit of beating for the first couple of rounds, caught me his southpaw shots. Then I dropped him. The bell saved him. “If it had been in another country I would have got the nod. I actually gave him a bit of a battering for most of the rounds after the knockdown and he knew that. But he knew how to maul his way through the rounds, pinch them. He was the champion and was always going to get it. “The Mahmutov fight was a complete robbery. He didn't do anything in any of the 12 rounds and only won because he was living in Spain,” he recalls. “I took the loss – it was all learning at the time and I was still only young – but it still rankles, you know. So, I should have two European straps at home already! “Mahmutov just wouldn't commit himself,” continued Booth. “I'm old enough to know now that you have to put on a big show abroad, knock him about a bit, floor him. You have to make a big statement and show the judges that you're the man in complete control. “I was struggling for the first six rounds against Chent. I was ahead but I had no legs. My strength came through by the end of the round. Then they stopped the fight. You know why they stopped it? Because I had started to get the better of it, hurting him, roughing him up. He would have got knocked out in the next round. “They had to do something to stop me winning the title as he wasn't going to do it the proper way. Oh, and they never gave a rematch, as they knew that I would have done the job in the first couple of rounds that time.” And what of the future for the 33-fight (28 wins, 11 quickly, five defeats) Frank Maloney-promoted loveable rogue, who has won three of his four bouts (one stoppage) since his comeback in November 2006? "I keep going on about it, but I really want to win the European title at bantamweight. The current champion, Belgian Carmelo Ballone, is nothing too special at all. I know that I have his number and would love the chance to prove that I'm the best bantamweight on the Continent. “But it's still bugging me quite a bit,” added Jason, whose younger brother, former British and Commonwealth bantamweight champion Nicky, is about to embark on a comeback. “I should have been a three-time European flyweight champion years and years ago. “I won't be happy until I have that little blue belt wrapped around my waist,” said the solid-hitting Tony Harris-trained crowdpleaser ahead of his maiden defence of his belt. “I have been all over Europe trying to get that belt since 1999. I think its time for me to wear it. “But I want to enjoy myself. I want the buzz of those big European nights again. Even though I would like the fights to be in Nottingham, I'm worldly-wise now and would rip the belt away if I went abroad. I've learned that you have to take the belt away from the champion. “I also want to settle a score with the British champion, Hackney's Ian Napa. I beat him the first time we met and was a bit too rusty to capitalise in the second one (losing unanimously, 117-113, 115-113 and 116-113, for the British title). Now I've got this [Commonwealth] title I feel invigorated. “Even though I had only boxed 12 rounds in three years before the fight with Napa, who had done 56 in that time, I still pushed him to the wire. I have boxed nine good rounds since that loss and feel I'm getting back to the way I was before, the way I was when I pushed Damaen Kelly. The result would be different this time. “I also would like to get a few notches on this Commonwealth belt though won't be defending it against that tall, long-limbed South African [Tshifhiwa Munyai]. He is a very special fighter, one that will definitely fight for a proper world title in the next two or three years. “But some people are saying that I'm too old to be still boxing at this level, too old to be talking of European and world title shots. Too old? I'm the same age as Carl Froch. He is nearing the top of his game and people aren't saying he is too old to be talking about fighting for a world title. “Matthew Edmonds, who I beat in nine rounds last time out, is going to go somewhere but in the later rounds I started to show him the big shots and he turned his back and was asking for help. I gave him his chance and let him hit me a few times. Even though was seven years younger, he still couldn't get the better of me. "I only lost a handful of times as an amateur, two of them were against Carl Froch. One year I had 22 amateur fights and only lost once. I've won National titles in the amateurs and British, Commonwealth and ‘world' titles as a pro. Some people are not giving me credit for what I've done. “Maybe defending this title a few times and winning the European 8st 6lbs belt will give me the credit I feel I've deserved all along.”

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