Not that long ago, Thomas Essomba’s career looked close to being at a dead end. Now the road to glory is very much open.
The Sunderland boxer makes the second defence of his English bantamweight title in Wolverhampton, where a win over undefeated prospect Kyle Williams would surely line up a showdown with British champion Josh Wale.
The options facing Essomba, now based in Stockton, seemed questionable after losing his Commonwealth title to Jay Harris two years ago in London and subsequently parting with manager, Phil Jeffries.
However, now UK-qualified and under the management of up-and-coming boxing boss and promoter, Kieran Farrell BEM, the 30-year-old is back on the move.
The two-time Olympian knocked out Leicestershire’s Louis Norman at the King Power Stadium in Leicester in March to win the English title.
Essomba defends his belt tonight on the Emerging Stars bill in Wolverhampton, where he meets home favourite Williams.
The Wolves boxer, the reigning Midlands Area champ, has won all eight of his contests, three early, including that seventh-round retirement of Jordan Turner in their title contest.
Essomba has also won eight times, though he carries the class and the added experience.
How good is Williams? We may well find out tonight at the Willows Banqueting Suite, where Errol Johnson’s BCB Promotions are the hosts.
Kyle has only faced one wining fighter to date, but that does not mean he’s not up to it, so Thomas might have to produce the sort of display which stopped Norman in his tracks at Leicester.
“To be honest I don’t know too much about Kyle Williams,” Essomba said in a interview with worldboxingnews.net.
“I don’t study my opponents too much, because I know that I’m capable of beating anyone when I perform at my best.
“But Williams will be desperate to win the English title in front of his home fans, so I have to take the fight seriously and be at my best.”
Words: Roy Kelly
