Troi: Experience and hunger will drive me to title fight victory

Coleman...back in the UK. Pic: MSN Images/BCB Promotions

TROI Coleman’s remarkable story – the tale of a Staffordshire scrapper who upped sticks to Thailand and conquered Asia – turns full circle on Saturday.

Now back in Burntwood, “The Hawk” bids to take the vacant Midlands middleweight title this weekend at Meres Leisure Centre, Grantham. Attempting to prevent Troi from adding another belt to his collection is local hope Tom Cowling, undefeated in 12.

Not surprisingly, Coleman, who has plied his professional trade on the other side of the planet, does not consider himself the away boxer. When you’ve competed in Bangkok, Dubai and Newcastle, New South Wales, a 70 miles journey to Grantham is little more than a brisk stroll.

“Usually my weight was up and down because of the long plane journeys,” he said. “With that eliminated, my weight is really good.”

For Coleman, there may be an uncomfortable sense of Déjà vu. In his last fight on British soil, nearly four years ago, he attempted to take the same title and was stopped in three by River Wilson-Bent.

One day I may write a film script of Coleman’s amazing fighting life and give it a grand title such as “The Rice Fields Rocky” or “Tuk Tuk Terrier”.

After relocating to the Far East, he had eight fights, lifted the WBC Asian continental title and travelled to Uzbekistan for training camps.

Troi gave one of the world’s greatest amateurs, Cuban Yan Marcos, a very competitive eight rounder in Dubai and, last time out, travelled Down Under and was halted by world class Aussie puncher Issac Hardman.

After all that, an engagement in the Lincolnshire market town of Grantham on a chilly autumn evening could be considered to lack glamour.

Troi, with just three defeats in 15, stressed the stakes are high, the fire in his belly is burning brightly.

Now managed by Errol Johnson, he’s left no stone unturned during training sessions at BCB and his old Platinum amateur boxing club, the latter under the guidance of Ste Cadman and Lee Goodwin.

He’s sparred such top names as European champ Tyler Denny and hot prospect Elliot Whale.

Troi in his title laden days in Thailand. He's a boxing globe-trotter

“Training has gone brilliantly, it’s been a dream,” Coleman said. “I still feel I have a lot to prove here because it’s different when you do things overseas. Even huge names like Amir Khan in America didn’t get the credit in the UK their performances deserved. The scale is a lot smaller, but it’s the same thing.”

He has not underestimated Cowling, a very bright prospect who has never know professional defeat.

“I’m taking it very seriously, I don’t feel I’m going down a level,” he said. “I don’t know too much about him, I’ve watched a couple of rounds, I’m focussing on me. He’s a tidy, useful boxer, an undefeated lad and someone in the way to where I want to get to. I’m very confident.

“I think definitely experience is going to play a part. This is my sixth title fight, I’m in my sixth camp for a title fight. I’ve still got the hunger because I haven’t yet achieved the success I want to have.

“I’m hungry and experienced. It’s a dangerous combination, that will be the difference.”

Despite his globe-trotting, the dream remains the same for Coleman.

He added: “The goal when I turned pro was to be British champion – I’ve never strayed from that goal, never deviated from that path. I said I’d win it by the time I was 30 and I’m 29 now, so the clock’s ticking.

“Get the win and keep building from there.”