Troy Williamson is determined to show he is made of the write stuff when he fights Callum Simpson for the British, Commonwealth and European belts.
The Darlington 34-year-old’s cast-iron belief in victory on Saturday night in his super-middleweight triple title tilt is such that he has it all jotted down in black and white.
“I visualise it every day, I say it to myself every day,” Williamson told punch-lines.
“I’ve written it down on a little notepad and I carry it around with me.
“I’m big into manifestation at the minute. I did it for the fight with Mark Dickinson and everything I believed and said came true so I’m expecting the same here.
“After I’ve won then I’ll show everyone my bit of paper, but until then it is only for me to see.”
We are just a couple of days away from learning if Williamson’s supreme confidence is merely paper talk.
It would be both premature and dangerous to dismiss the challenger, despite the size of the task that awaits him at the First Direct Bank Arena against the 18-0 champion (13 wins by way of stoppage).
But Simpson will also be fully aware of just what Williamson is capable of – the 29-year-old Yorkshireman was at ringside when ‘Trojan’ executed a surprise English super-middleweight championship triumph over Mark Dickinson at Rainton Arena in September.
Not that the ninth-round stoppage was a surprise to the ex-British light-middleweight king, who is targeting another upset in front of the BBC TV cameras.
“I knew one million per cent that I could win that fight against Mark, then get straight back into another big fight which is what we’ve got now,” said Troy, who acknowledges that this represents his greatest chjallenge.
“You’d have to say that because of the accolades he’s got, but when I take care of him, I hope I get the recognition I deserve.
“I think I can go and beat him in the same fashion as well.”
Many pundits and boxing observers gave Williamson little chance in his English title challenge against the younger and heavier Dickinson, especially given Troy was going into battle off the back of three successive high-profile losses, in Belfast, Sheffield and Las Vegas and four defeats out of his last five bouts.
So was his clinically-executed ninth-round stoppage win over his North-East neighbour in Houghton his finest hour?
“Just because of what was on the line that night,” said Troy, who is trained in Trimdon by Jordan Williams in the Twins gym.
“Had I lost that fight there would have been no coming back.
“If I lost to Mark I’d have wrapped in, I would not carry on just to be a gatekeeper for prospects.
“I was basically fed to a prospect that night but it didn’t happen.”
But because he prospered that evening does not mean that he has nothing left to prove – far from it. He sees it as his stepping stone to British, Commonwealth and European glory. And beyond.
“I feel very good, probably the best I’ve felt in a long time,” explained the Co Durham fighter, whose record reads 21-4-1, with 15 wins early.
“A lot of people wrote me off and thought I was finished so to triumph in that fashion just shows there are plenty of big fights left and plenty more big nights.”
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Mark Robinson/ Matchroom
