Danny wants to fight for British title next

Winning team…that’s Edwin Cleary and Danny Quartermaine

DANNY Quartermaine, the bundle of fighting fury who has made Leamington a fight town again, wants a British title next.

He’d love to face British super-featherweight champ Reece Bellotti, though trainer Edwin Cleary is at pains to point out they’re not in the business of “calling people out”.

It’s just that Bellotti has something Quartermaine, unbeaten in 12, craves.

“If Bellotti wants to go down the European route, that’s fine,” said Cleary. “Danny has two versions of the European title. Bellotti is a good champion, but if he is looking beyond British title level, then let someone else box for it.

“You have to know Danny, he has a different mentality to others, he’s always wanted the British title.”

Last time out, Quartermaine defended his IBF European title, and added the WBO version to his collection, with comprehensive points victory over heavier, hard hitting Romanian James Chereji.

He suffered a knockdown in the first, was cut and bruised around the right eye, yet dominated. For the final three rounds, the 27-year-old, who usually whips up a storm in the ring, showed he can box and move.

“That shocked people,” said Cleary. “He has that aggression in him. He will box, he will always fight. You can hit him with a sledgehammer and he’ll get up. When Danny spars in the gym, he boxes, but he has this very big need to fight.”

My ringside report of the contest described it as “messy at times”.

“Make Chereji look scrappy, that was our plan,” said Cleary, “that took the sting out of him. We told Danny to make it messy because the guy was strong.

“I honestly couldn’t see a flaw, it was a great performance. He had that flash knockdown and reacted straight away, he was up against a much heavier opponent, he had cuts over the eye and on the scalp and he still dominated. If that’s not a top professional boxer, what is?”

“Danny is a proper, proper fighter.”

Cleary, however, can’t see Britain’s very top contenders being in a rush to face Danny – and he doesn’t blame them. It’s too much of a risk for men chasing bigger paydays.

“Danny’s had 12 fights and those around him have had double that,” he added. “If I was them, I’d be pushing for world titles.”

He added: “Danny will fight again in October or November. He’s pushing on.”

And pushing on at breakneck speed.