Another title thriller for KO King Jones

Troy Jones…big fight in Nottingham. Picture: Manjit Narotra/BCB

TROY Jones sells tickets at a Black Friday sales rush level because there’s an awful lot for punters to like about Troy Jones.

Outside the ropes, the 26-year-old cuts a Jack-the-lad dash - happy-go-lucky with a belly-laugh that brightens any room like a lightbulb.

Inside them, he hurls grenades. The English light-heavyweight champ brings an adrenaline rush to fight night. Troy, from Birmingham but now based in Tamworth, doesn’t know how to be in a bad fight. He doesn’t do boring boxing. He doesn’t steal points, he punches with paralysing power.

The man hits with the force of a hurricane. “There’s nothing manufactured about me,” Troy told me proudly.

I’ve watched him being rocked to his bootlaces before roaring back to win.

Now Jones has been handed the toughest test of his unbeaten 12 bout career. On Queensberry’s huge May 10 show at Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham, Troy faces the lace city’s Ezra Taylor for the WBA continental belt.

On a card stacked with mouthwatering 50-50 fights, the co-main event may steal the five star show. It has “thriller” stamped on it.

It’s a big ask for Jones. Taylor, fighting in his home city, is unbeaten in 11, eight of those wins coming by stoppage.

But Troy craves to be asked big questions in the ring.

“I know him,” Troy said of Taylor. “We had a couple of spars in Dubai and spent some time together. We’re just two fighters who are up and coming who are meeting on the way. Some fighters don’t want those tests, I do.

“I think it’s a fantastic fight for the fans. I don’t take a backward step, we’ll see if he does. If he does, he’ll have it.”

Jones is an old school gladiator who simply loves a tear-up. He can’t help himself and trainer Lee Beard has to live with that. Lee may have refined the rough edges, he’ll never tame the beast that lurks within Jones.

A product of Solihull amateur club, Troy won six of his first 10 paid contest by stoppage before outpointing Leon Willings for the English belt.

After watching the KO artist haul himself of the canvas to halt tough Pole Michael Ludwiczak in four rounds of pure mayhem, I wrote: What 6ft 4in Jones can achieve out of the game is a matter of debate, but it’s going to be an exciting journey. He appears to possess that big puncher’s blend of wrecking ball power and vulnerability.”

Jones has improved immeasurably since that thriller.

“I don’t put pressure on myself,” he said. “I’m always training hard, always learning – the time you think you know everything is the time to pack in, always sparring good lads.

“People can say I’m just a puncher, they can make their own assumptions, I don’t care what they think. I don’t care as long as they’re watching my fights.

“I’m in there to fight – I don’t care if it’s a big show or a little show. I don’t think I’ve been in a dull fight. It’s been the same since I was a kid whether it was in the ring our outside the ring.”

That’s a fact. Whatever the outcome against Taylor, the action will be explosive and raw. An earthquake is scheduled in Nottingham on May 10.