River vows: the ‘fire still burns inside me’

River Wilson-Bent (left) after sparring Amir Abubaker

CROWD-pleasing middleweight contender River Wilson-Bent is aware of the whispers.

The former Midlands champ is aware after drawing with novice SA Smith last time out in an eight round war, some say he is slipping. Some say he’s nearing the end.

Coventry’s River takes the first step to proving them wrong next Thursday at the Excelsior Club, Cannock, where he faces Tomasz Felsz.

In its own way, the six rounder is significant. River and manager Jon Pegg are aware another narrow scrape at this level will lead to more questions being asked.

The Bournemouth based Pole is a natural light-heavy, strong, rough and ready and, after five contests (two wins) still burns with ambition.

He doesn’t come to merely survive, then move on to the next payday.

“He’s a lad who will give it a go,” said 30-year-old River, “and those are the fights I want. I’m at a stage where I can’t get up for opponents who just want to survive. If you have someone with 200 fights, 195 losses, I find it hard to get up for it, but I’ll still do it. This lad is coming to win.”

SA Smith, from Bodmin Moor, certainly wanted to scrap and fought like a man possessed. River made the task more difficult than it had to be by electing to fight fire with fire: he became drawn into a punch-up, but the man loves a fight.

I still had him a winner.

“The decision was ridiculous,” River told me. “I was in shock, I was speechless – I thought I was at least six rounds up. But I have to put that behind me and keep rocking.

“Don’t judge me on that performance. There were injuries – my elbow was the size of a tennis ball and I couldn’t even do the pads. We shouldn’t have taken the opportunity, but I want to fight, Now I’m ready.”

Those writing River’s boxing obituary are jumping the gun. They forget that only seven months ago he and Ryan Kelly produced the Midlands’ fight of the year – a 10 round thriller for the Commonwealth silver belt.

They forget he lost by a technical draw and split decision to current European champ Tyler Denny and the laudable late notice performance against former world class American amateur Ammo Williams.

Thursday is a step back for River, who has lost only four of 21 (two draws), but sometimes you have to take a couple of steps back to jump further.

After the Excelsior fight, River will be given a bigger test on GBM’s major June 29 show at Coventry’s Skydome.

River insisted: “I have a few good years left in the sport, I’m always ready for an opportunity – right now I’m ready to box 10 rounds.

“I love boxing, it’s been a part of my life for 16 years. I enjoy getting up early to run, I enjoy being fit, I still have the fire.”

The next five weeks will tell us if that fire generates the same heat.