Matt’s beaming as big fight beckons

Matt Windle…bidding for two major titles

MATT Windle couldn’t hide the smile on his face at the press call for tomorrow’s (Friday’s) European and Commonwealth flyweight title fight.

The grin is understandable. Windle, Birmingham’s pocket-sized puncher, is, in his words, living a boyhood dream.

As he put it: “Asking me not to smile during a face-off is like asking a bear not to **** in the woods... It won't happen. I've worked my entire life for moments like these.”

He has risen from near ring obscurity, overcome two failed attempts to rule at Midlands level, beaten big names and claimed a significant belt.

Tomorrow, the 32-year-old again attempts to make a mockery of the odds stacked against him. He faces Connor Butler, unbeaten in 10, for the Merseysider’s Commonwealth belt and the vacant European crown at Liverpool Olympia.

If he wins, Matt is within touching distance of a world title fight.

If he wins, Matt is within touching distance of a world title fight: Sorry, I had to type that again to underline to myself that scenario is a fact.

Frankly, there has been more than one occasion when I believed I’d written the epitaph to Windle’s career, that the man had been crushed by bad decisions.

Tomorrow’s battle is as much about the power of persistence as the power of punches.

The well worn adage, “if it first you don’t succeed…” could’ve been written for the fighter.

But make no mistake, this is a bout built around 25-year-old Butler. It has been financed as a coronation for a new king, in his home city, before his own subjects. The match was made with the intention of Windle playing the part of support actor.

That has only fuelled the fire in the visitor’s belly. “Even though 80-90 per cent of people in the room want me to get my head punched in, I'm actually happy to be here,” he said.

Windle is now experienced at championship level, is battle-hardened and proven.

He possesses a good chin, a decent dig and an engine that can be relied upon down the stretch.

He’s an example of a boxer who does not have exceptional talent in any one facet of his game, but is good and solid at all the elements required of a pugilist.

And when all those elements are welded together, you have a man who is very difficult to beat.

Windle represents the modern face of today’s pugilists. A professional poet by day, he has plenty to say – and says it articulately.

He suffered two controversial losses in Midlands title fights, brooded, then bounced back with a fine points win over previously unbeaten Neil McCubbin. Tommy Frank outpointed him for the British flyweight title, then came Windle’s finest hour. He halted South African Siphelele Myeza for the long dormant Commonwealth light-flyweight crown.

Unbeaten in seven going into the contest, Myeza was ground down in the 11th. That proves Matt retains power down the stretch.

In Butler he faces a fine, accomplished pro, but not an elite one. And with one stoppage to his name, there’s nothing to suggest he possesses a destructive punch.

Butler won the Commonwealth title by outpointing Craig Derbyshire, a Doncaster contender whose patchy 8-29-4 record masks his true worth. Derbyshire has claimed English honours at super-fly, drawn with Tommy Frank for the British flyweight title and pushed top super-fly contender Marcel Braithwaite to a majority decision.

That’s a form guide some may consider ominous. Frank dropped and widely outpointed Windle. Butler soundly beat the man who drew with him.

But this is Matt Windle, therefore logic goes out of the window. When faced with the heat of having his back against the wall, he draws in the flames and they burn within him, creating a near frightening intensity.

Tomorrow, Matt Windle takes part in the sixth title fight of his 13 fight career: paired down, that means nearly 50 per cent of his contests have been for belts.

That is staggering. That is a ratio any pro would give their right arm for.

That is nothing short of miraculous. He has single-handedly resurrected a British division – light-fly – considered well and truly dead and buried. That, too, is miraculous.

Consider the statistics. Consider the inherent stubbornness of the man, then tell me he can’t conjure another miracle.