Morris’ team brimful of confidence before TV fight with Leivars

Lewis Morris…another TV fight. Pic: Manjit Narotra/BCB Promotions

THERE’S a wave of genuine belief sweeping through Richie Carter’s busy Wolverhampton gym as Lewis Morris prepares for his second big TV fight date.

It goes beyond optimism. Carter and fellow trainer Andy Owen insist the Walsall featherweight is not on Saturday’s huge, televised Nottingham Arena show to merely enhance the reputation of another rising star.

Former fine pro middleweight Carter told me: “It’s winner, winner, chicken dinner!

“Lewis is a proper boxer, a proper fighter. He’s one of those kids – a proper boxer, a proper fighter, an old school fighter. A very respectful young man, very calm, never swears. He’ll box anyone, spar anyone.”

The Wolverhampton Boxing Club team have mapped out a victory for Morris over Mansfield’s Nico Leivars. The fighters meet over six rounds on a bill topped by fellow BCB boxer Conah Walker’s British welterweight title fight with Harry Scarff.

Victory would be an upset, but I understand the positive energy hanging in the air at Carter’s thriving old gold sweat shop.

Morris – a thoroughly likeable 23-year-old – was pretty much written off before making his TV arena debut last December against red hot prospect Joe McGrail, a vaunted amateur searching for his 11th straight win.

I certainly didn’t fancy Lewis’ chances. He had lost a Midland title fight before that assignment and, before that, had been beaten by an African who has won only a third of his pro contests.

Frankly, I thought he may not hear the final bell.

Yet Lewis seemed to grow under the warm, big night spotlight, bathed in it, even belonged in it and produced a career best performance to make McGrail dig deep for a points decision.

After that sterling performance, Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn promised Lewis a slot on future shows. He’s kept his word.

Leivars, aged 25, looks a notch below McGrail. He’s drawn one of seven, been inactive for 10 months and suffered gashed eyes in his last two contests. What’s more, Leivars began his career at a weight below – super-bantam.

He is, however, a former top amateur. And former top amateurs, on home turf, usually win.

“I think he represented Team GB as an amateur,” Carter said, “but it’s a different game to the pros.

“Lewis believes he can beat this lad and so do I, he’s looking to the next fight on Matchroom.  (Nico Leivars) is facing a physically bigger lad in Lewis, I don’t think he’s fought a bigger boxer than Lewis. The lad hasn’t boxed in 10 months. I think he’ll underestimate Lewis. It all looks positive.

“Lewis has been sparring Gully Powar and Kane Baker, both pressure fighters. I’m quietly confident.”

Morris (8-3) came away from his last nationally televised bout with his reputation enhanced.

This time, Richie Carter and Andy Owen are fanning the flames for an against the odds victory. But even defeat following a sterling, all out, competitive performance would lift Morris’ career – and earn the Black Country battler another Matchroom payday.

That must mean BCB have manoeuvred Morris into a very good position.