Collins Snr: Tommy has got what it takes to reach the very top

Team Collins celebrate after the win. Picture by DEXTER HASTINGS

TOMMY “Gun” Collins is ready for championship tussles after completing his first eight rounder, his dad and trainer has stated.

The wildly popular Birmingham light-welter peeled-off his ninth straight win at Edgbaston’s H Suite on Sunday afternoon.

And he glided to victory on the BCB bill, encountering few problems from Marian Wesolowski, despite the Pole’s free swinging, aggressive style.

Wesolowski, who has now lost 10 of 14 (one draw) at times flung himself forward, showing scant regard for defence. He came to win, there’s no doubt about that, and provided the perfect test over the longer distance.

But 25-year-old Collins remained poised, speared his opponent with stiff jabs and slowed him with body shots. Referee Chris Dean gave him every round, 80-72.

Bigger tests now await Tommy, who is a huge ticket-seller, his noisy chanting Bluenose army turning the hall into a raucous corner of St Andrew’s.

Dad Dean can’t wait for bigger tests.

“I’d like an eliminator for the English title,” he said. “I think he can do it, I really believe it. For me, he’s got all the attributes to do it. You can see it, you really can. He looks a champion. I’d put him in for a title tomorrow – big shows, big rings where he can show his skills.

“He has top sparring against top names. I’ve dragged him to the dog’s den for sparring and put him in – if they’ve got it, they’ve got it. It’s now about keeping him fighting more regular because the more regular you are, the better you are.”

Wesolowski certainly made Collins press his foot on the pedal throughout the encounter.

That, said Dean, was just what the doctor ordered.

“We had an opponent and he pulled out with a hand injury or something,” he explained. “I said I want a replacement who throws a few shots, who wants to have a fight. Errol (BCB boss Errol Johnson) came back, ‘I’ve got this lad, but he’s scored three knockouts’. I told him we’d take it. I didn’t know anything about him, but told Tom to be cagey

“Listen, I’m a fan of boxing, I don’t want to watch poor fights.

“Tom peppered him. Six times I thought the lad was going, but each time he recovered. Tom was fantastic – gritty, tough, walked forward, made him miss and ‘bang!’ The only criticism was I didn’t like the way Tom kept his left hand low. I told him, ‘do that against some of the big punchers and you’ll be taking a nap’.”

The future burns very brightly for Tommy “Gun” Collins. And it can only be a matter of time until the machine gun thud of his fists resound around major arenas.