Pickering told to sort his head out ahead of revenge mission by Tom Podmore Jan 16th 2008

British super-bantamweight champion Esham Pickering has been warned by manager Carl Greaves to get his head sorted out or surrender his Lonsdale belt to Sean Hughes in Burton-on-Trent on Friday evening (January 18). The switch-hitting stylist, a former Commonwealth and European champion, cut a sorry figure as he was bloodied, battered and shockingly outpointed by the former Central Area champion and British title challenger via a score of 77-75 at the Nottingham Arena last November. Pickering, 32-6 (12), now has the chance to exact his revenge on the Hennessy Sports and GoldenPalace.net-promoted bill. He knows another loss will probably spell the end for him. Hughes is usually beaten when he moves up in class – Bernard Dunne, Stephen Foster and Michael Hunter – and was seen as little more than a warm-up for the champion before seeking a shot at the European eight-stone-ten title, currently held by Spanish puncher Kiko Martinez, in the spring. So much for best laid plans. Pickering, having his second fight since leaving the Ingles to link-up with Greaves in his hometown of Newark, had impressed when forcing Walsall's sturdy Steve Gethin to quit in the third a month earlier. He was a shadow of that man against the tenacious West Yorkshire southpaw, lacking any real speed or snap in his shots. And the 31-year-old former world title challenger from Nottinghamshire will have to be in peak shape if he plans to repel the challenge of the Michael Marsden-handled scrapper and then the dangerous English super-bantamweight champion, Leicester's Rendall Munroe, two months later. The East Midlands pair are set to meet for Esham's Lonsdale belt (tentatively pencilled in for March 22 at the Barnsley Metrodome) in what could be a make-or-break fight for the champion. If Pickering loses any of his next two fights – and neither are easy assignments – then his career as a top-level boxer will be over. But his new trainer/manager said his charge had a valid reason for his disappointing showing at the tail end of 2007 and promises a different fighter will turn up on Friday, the fighter who was good enough to challenge for a world title in 2000. Nottingham-born Greaves, who twice came up short in cracks at the British title in an eight-year, 39-fight (32 wins) career, said: “Esham had a lot of personal problems leading up to the fight. He just wasn't himself in there. “I really wanted to pull him out after three or four rounds because we are best mates. But he wouldn't hear of it and was desperate to carry on. “He is very tough and has a huge heart,” added the 31-year-old former WBF, Midland Area and British Masters champion. “Four weeks before the fight in Nottingham he was buzzing and everyone in Newark was talking about him. But there was nothing there on fight night. All of a sudden he was a shadow of himself and Hughes couldn't miss him. It was like talking to a brick wall. “He'd made the weight pretty easily, but I knew something was wrong before the fight because he wouldn't eat anything. He just didn't seem interested in the fight at all. “He needs to get his head sorted and put in an assured performance in his next fight, a title rematch with Hughes on Friday night. “We all know what Esham is capable of when he is focused and I expect that kind of man to show up at the Meadowside Leisure Centre. If he doesn't show up, Hughes will be taking the Lonsdale belt back with him. “The sharpness, accuracy and focus that was lacking the first time around has been there in the gym during the run-up. I think we will see the best of him on Sky Sports this time. We have been working on a few things to combat Hughes. We have a game plan. “He then has Munroe in March, a win that could springboard him on to bigger things in the latter part of the year. But first we must take care of Hughes, who I'm sure is eager to show his win last year wasn't a fluke.”

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