Soldier Henry gets a title shot at age of 42

Cliff Henry…will face champ Michael Stephenson next month

SERVING soldier Cliff Henry has landed a surprise title fight – at the age of 42.

The veteran will face Midlands light-heavy champ Michael Stephenson on BCB’s December 20 bill at Birmingham’s Eastside Rooms.

The dream chance has come early for Henry, who is billed out of Hereford. He’s had four paid outings, won all on points and is yet to go beyond six rounds.

I had a ringside seat for Henry’s September victory over Darryl Sharp. He is, I can testify, in remarkable physical condition for a fighter in his 40s, but the lack of experience was apparent.

The father-of-four had only 11 amateur bouts before turning over.

Stephenson, from Bedworth, won the title in somewhat strange circumstances. He was scheduled to face Wolverhampton’s Andy Owen for the vacant super-middle title back in March in front of Andy’s own fans at The Hangar.

Stephenson, who has lost only one of nine, came in overweight and the bout rebranded for the light-heavy belt.

That said, he won clearly on points, building victory around withering body attacks.

Henry has an interesting cover story.

He didn’t lace on the gloves until 2018 and turned pro at 40. He juggles his fight career with the army’s demands.

In a recent interview, Henry said: “My work has become very busy, the world is a crazy place and there’s a lot going on, but boxing is my passion and I’m itching to get back in there.

“Four rounds, to me, isn’t a long time and there’s so much that you want to show. It's important to do the basics well, even under pressure. There can be no excuses.

“I’m 42 now, so I don’t have an awful lot of time to hang about but, at the same time, I’m far from finished. If I can stay injury-free and disciplined, I’ll be able to stay active.

“To go for a title would be a dream, but if that happens, I want to make sure that I’m fully prepared. I’m pushing to see how far I can go.”

The dream has come true!