Hough ditches glamour to knuckle down by Tom Podmore Feb 25th 2008

Business-like Matty Hough has ditched the ‘Too Hot' nickname and the glamorous ‘Hough Babes' so he can knuckle down and win the vacant Midland Area middleweight title. The Walsall crowdpleaser meets Birmingham's Max Maxwell for the 11st 6lbs belt on First Team's card at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Thursday night (February 28) and has vowed to emerge with his hand raised in the Birmingham/ Black Country showdown. A crack at a title looked a long way off after Hough suffered back-to-back defeats at the end of 2006 and start of 2007, losing by crushing stoppages in both. But a six-month rest, a more focussed outlook and two decent wins have seen rewarded with a chance to procure the Midland strap six pounds south of his normal super-middleweight. Dudley's Darren McDermott relinquished the Area title he'd held since 2005 so he could challenge Birmingham's Wayne Elcock for the British middleweight title at the Aston Villa Events Centre, likely to be on April 25, and Hough sees that as somewhere the Midland belt can lead him to. But 28-year-old Maxwell will be no pushover. The Chelmsley Wood-based puncher, trained by former WBC world champion Richie Woodhall and arriving in the lion's den with six wins in seven outings (one quickly), served a clear warning of his intentions with a blistering two-round stoppage of Bolton's Johnny Enigma in Birmingham last month. Hough was in attendance that night and saw what the Brummie was capable of doing. He said he saw nothing to be fearful of, however, and the pair even indulged in a fiery head-to-head staredown that had to be broken up by Maxwell's trainer after things got too heated. And the 31-year-old Walsall-born banger is delighted with the recent turn of events: “I can't wait to get into the ring on February 28. This is a massive opportunity for me to win a championship and get my career on the road to the top. “Although it should be a good fight for those at the Civic, I'm really going to take Maxwell apart. I can assure you that this will be the hardest fight he will have ever had. He is going to leave Wolverhampton a badly beaten, bruised and belt-less fighter. “The Black Country will emerge victorious over Birmingham and I am really excited about it,” continued the Errol Johnson-trained fighter in the run up to the 10-round main event. “Hopefully, should the opportunity present itself, I can get a win by stoppage. “I am really focused on beating Max but I keep getting people asking me to bring the girls back. I'm not sure what to do: bring them back or just carry on without them like I have done in my last three contests. “I have done well without them,” confessed the former Pleck ABC boxer, 7-2-1 (1), who has won two of his last three outings (one draw) without his barely-clothed cheerleaders. “I still keep in touch and I know they would come and lead me to the ring if I asked them to. “But I am fit, ready and will make the middleweight limit at the weigh-in with no trouble whatsoever. Maxwell better be ready for the hardest night of his boxing career. I am not going to look for the KO but will gladly take the invitation if the opportunity drops into my lap.” Fresh from an impressive stoppage win over durable Ramon Guevera in Las Vegas before Christmas, Wolverhampton's Dean Harrison, 10-0 (2), takes on another international foe, Ghana's Alex Brew, 9-2-1 (7), in the eight-round (the Black Country prospect's first time at that distance, incidentally) chief support. Brierley Hill's Martin Gordon, 0-4-1, goes in against Tamworth's Matt Ceawright, 0-5, in a four-round battle that should see one of the Midlanders finally get in the win column. Unbeaten Wolverhampton pair Rob Kenney, 4-0-1 (0), and Lyndsey Scragg, 3-0 (2), see action over six and the bill also includes Stafford's Rob Hunt, 7-0 (1), Halesowen's Scott Evans, 2-0 (1), and Birmingham heavyweight Neil Perkins, debut. Tickets are available from Paul (PJ) Rowson on 07976-283157, Errol Johnson on 07852-268333 or the Wolverhampton Civic Hall on 0870-320-7000.

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