Jamie Moore: "I can't afford to slip-up" by Terry Dooley Oct 26th 2007

Jamie Moore returns to the ring for the first time in six months, as he defends his British light-middleweight title against old foe Andrew Facey this Friday. The fight, at the Robin Park Centre in Wigan, could be Moore's final defence of his Lonsdale belt, a trophy he owns outright and with some dominance, as he moves on to European title action. The fight could equally, yet negatively, see Moore bidding adieu to his title and picking up a devastating loss at the hands of the erratic but slippery Facey. A mix of high technique and high energy, Moore is surely now on the cusp of taking the step to the next level his mind and, it will be shown, his body have been crying out for. BBN caught up with Moore and talked to him about the forthcoming fight. Firstly, there was the question about how hard it must be for him to get up for another fight with Facey. He answered: "I'm happy with it. I've got to the point now where I'm just not going to worry about things." But what has been troublesome for Moore is the fact that he has mixed at British title level, in his eyes, for too long. He said: "Nothing was going my way and no-one was doing me any favours, but I've have to keep doing what I'm doing and keep winning. Eventually the opportunities will come my way." Moore prefers not to look ahead to the European title, for which he is mandatory contender, so, therefore, his motivation for getting another win over Facey is closer to home, rather than craning its neck towards Europe. He said: "I've got all the motivation I need for this fight. I've got a young family to feed now and one little slip-up puts me back to square one. All the hard work I've done over the past three years, since becoming British champion, will go down the drain if I lose. "My motivation now is to make sure there are no slip-ups and to keep going towards my goal, which is to be European champion and then WBC Champion." Moore and his manager, Steve Woods, have pushed Jamie's corner with both the EBU and the WBC. Now, with Woods' tireless work reaching its conclusion, a shot at one of these titles is well within reach. The Salford boxer had hoped to fight Michele Piccirillo for the European crown, but it never came off. Piccirillo patiently waited for a WBC mandatory position to come his way and is now first in line for a shot at current titleholder Vernon Forrest, a boxer who is back to his brilliant best,. However Moore, a realist, understands Michele earned his spurs and was ultimately smart in sitting on his title until his time came. He said: "Piccirillo in particular has paid his dues. He's been around a long time and he's been a (IBF) world champion. He was European champion and, as far as I'm concerned, he is ahead of me in the queue. That is fair enough." Moore, seeing the moves made by Piccirillo, decided to play the long game himself. To that end it was a far-thinking move to keep his British title. "If I had given that up, I'd have had nowhere to go," he said. "Obviously, I need a fight to stay sharp and stay busy. Facey is an awkward customer. I know that because we've fought before (Moore won via seventh-round stoppage). But I'm far improved from the fighter who fought him last time and, from what I've seen, he has not improved. "I'm looking to do a real good job on him. I want to make a really big point and show I'm past British level." But Facey is a canny operator. Matthew Macklin says it took him more than half their fight to truly get to grips with Andrew, who won on points to snap the Irish-Brummie's unbeaten run. Facey is the type of fighter who, if you take your eye off the ball, can nip in and steal the glory with a few deft flicks here and there. Andrew can also spoil and box well on the back foot. He was once brought in to spar with world champion Ricky Hatton, only for his style to make the spar an exercise in futility due to his refusal to aggressively engage, which, actually, is a very smart tactic, for this rematch also, on Facey's part. Moore conceded: "Facey could spoil, but that is how a lot of fighters from that (Ingle) camp fight. They are very negative, but he had a bit of a go in his last fight (versus Gary Woolcombe, which Facey won in five), so he can fight. "Whichever way they fight, I am confident I've got something in my style to overcome it. I'm very adaptable and can change tactics depending on what you bring. I'm not worried; I'm actually looking forward to it ,because I won't have boxed for six months." That last fight was a near-shutout win over Argentinean strongman Juan Sebastian Lujan. Lujan is an interesting character. Only this week he withstood some chilling left hooks from former welterweight world title challenger Walter Matthysse before winning in round five. One left hook put Lujan over, only for Sebastian to turn the fight around with a series of blows, culminating in a savage right hand that took Matthysse off his feet. It was a stonking fight and shows that, in completely defusing Lujan, Moore is ready to mix it with guys from all around the globe. This international trend was set to continue against Vincent Vuma in July. Unfortunately, Moore had to withdraw from the fight with an infection and stablemate Mark Thompson substituted to give the South African an argument before succumbing. In the meantime, with recuperation time advised, Moore took a break from the gym, refocused from afar, and replenished the energy that had been sapped in spending months preparing both for actual fights and abortive fights: He said: "I had a bit of break and went on holiday. It was a nice little break. I think it has done me good because when I came back to the gym for training, I really had the bit between my teeth. "I've got that little bit of fire in my belly that might have gotten a little bit low (if I'd carried on training). I think I was a little bit bored. I was in the gym for nine months without a break and it was starting to take its toll. "I think that is why I got ill with the virus. I was just run-down." A Moore-Vuma fight was mooted for Friday, but was knocked back by a most unlikely source.   As Moore explained: "I wanted that fight - firstly because the WBC said they'd make it an eliminator. Secondly, he beat my pal Mark Thompson. "Mark got a loss on a record from Vuma but gave him a really good fight. I wanted to straighten the record out. "For some reason or another, Sky did not want the fight as top of the bill and, for the life of me, I cannot see why. I just cannot believe they can come to that sort of conclusion, but they have done and we've got to live with it." Moore feels confident he can take on any fighter from the international scene. His British title reign, although long, has not been an albatross around his neck; instead it has given him the confidence to take his talent to a higher level. His trilogy with Michael Jones – three really distinct fights between two contrasting fighters – and his war with Macklin have, in Moore's mind, made him into the fighter he is now; they reassure him that he can win at a higher level. He said: "I have thought that [I can box at the international level] for the past twelve months. When you first become British champion, you look at them sort of [world class] people and think 'God, will I ever be able to compete on that level?', but as I've gone on and had the types of fights I've had, I've increased in confidence and experience. "I am confident that I could compete and win against a guy like Forrest, as well. I watched his fight against Baldomir and he boxed a great fight but I feel it was against a limited opponent who was naturally smaller than him. "It was a perfect-styles fight for his kind of boxing. It would be difficult because he is a great fighter, but if I got that fight, I'd be confident I could beat him. "Forrest had trouble with Mayorga when he [Ricardo] jumped all over him. I'm not as wild as Mayorga, but the kind of pressure I put on is similar. I'm a bit more technical, as well. I'm confident that my tactics would win me that fight." While it is good that Moore is sticking to his guns, the question is begged as to whether he would consider taking one of the lesser titles if they came up for grabs. "No," he said. "I wouldn't be interested in the WBU or IBO titles. Unless the money was great, because that is partly what we are all in this for. I did get offered a WBA title fight against Joachim Alcine in Canada, but it was for crap money and they wanted options on me. The deal was ridiculous, really, so we turned it down. "But as far as I am concerned, it is obvious that people are looking at me now as a potential opponent at the world level." Options are, as many will tell you, part and parcel of annexing a title shot. It seems commonsensical - you work your entire career, punish your body to get yourself near the top of the pile, and then pseudo-colonial promoters pick you out from the chorus line and demand an ounce of flesh for allowing you the chance, this the Corinthian aspect of our sport, to compete against the best in your chosen field. A fighter who gives his all in pursuit of the big fight might find himself getting his pop at the time when his fizz is left behind a little - not that this applies to Moore on the evidence thus far. Why should the boxer hand over his labour - and the fruits of his labour - to a promoter who has not guided him from the start? It seems unfair. People say they feel, incorrectly, that boxing is an unfair sport at heart. In that case, why do boxers not go into the ring with one guy packing a gun and the other his fists? Boxing is the purest sport; promotion, parasitically riding on the back of our pony, is the puerile pursuit of power and options give you that power. Moore has no intention of signing his career away and aims to earn his shot in the ring, not by excessive politicking. He said: "If I'm coming in as the underdog and getting paid less, I don't want to be tied down by the promoter. That is what people want you to do, but I won't do that. I will work my way into a mandatory position and do it that way. "A couple of more wins, hopefully at the European level, and I should be right up there with the top contenders and fighting for the WBC title." For now, though, he has a proper fight on his hands for a proper title - the British. Facey might be a rehashed foe, but he will burn with desire anew and is focusing that desire on upsetting Moore. Recent events in British title history have shown us it is hard to win but harder still to keep. There is something about the British title that makes you give that extra inch. There is a German word, gegenstand (that object which is there), which means not only an object as we see it but, also, the elements behind our vision that make up the object. If you will bear with me, this applies to the British title. This writer held the belt in his hands. If you close your eyes and feel its weight, plus the quality of the design and the sturdiness of the belt, you realise immediately that beyond the gold and lacing, there is a certain amount of free-standing labour, the graft and craft that goes into making this title special, no matter who the current holder may be. Craft and graft goes into the winning of the title also and this is what makes the Lonsdale belt so desirable for many British fighters. Facey will bring this desire to bear on Moore in order to wrench away that piece of metal, and, consequently, everything Moore has grafted for in crafting his career thus far. Facey stands before Moore as the final hurdle of his British title reign. Moore must supersede Facey again and, in doing so, establish renewed certainty in his ability to go beyond this level. With this in mind, and given that Moore knows he is on a tightrope at this point in his career, I fully expect him to suss Facey out, after a cagey opening on both sides, and retain his British title, perhaps for the final time. Moore v Facey is being promoted by Frank Maloney Promotions. It is being shown live on Sky.

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