Walker: Now I have the jewels they’ll all be gunning for me

Pattinson applauds new champion Walker

HOW Matchroom and those guiding Cyrus Pattinson must curse the day they invited Conah Walker to the party.

At the Utilita Arena, Birmingham, on Saturday night, Walker not only knocked the stardust from Pattinson, but also scuppered a potential all Newcastle superfight.

The Wolverhampton warrior was simply too much of a beast for Pattinson, dropping the favourite three times before Cyrus corner signalled surrender at the end of the eight. By then, only pride and courage was keeping their man upright.

Had Cyrus, tipped for very big things, been victorious at the weekend – as expected – he was slated to face Lewis Ritson before the year’s end. That was considered such a done deal, former British lightweight champ Ritson was ringside at the Utilita.

As 28-year-old Conah told me, with a degree of satisfaction, today: “I p***** on their plans.”

From a great height, at that.

It seemed, to those that don’t know what make’s Walker tick, a sensible step. Pattinson was unbeaten in six, had stopped four opponents, won a thriller against former British titleholder Chris Jenkins last time out and was considered a champ in waiting.

Walker had lost his previous contest to Kane Gardner and also failed in an English title bid. Bizarrely, considering what unfolded on Saturday, Pattinson was considered the puncher of the pair.

But Conah is too proud, tough and ambitious to play second fiddle. He is no one’s fall guy. He warned the scheduled 10 rounder was a potential banana skin, he warned it had come too soon for Cyrus.

He was proved right on all counts. The post fight grin on his face was understandable.

It looked a case of seasoned, hardened pro against a man still finding his feet in this unforgiving business. The learner was given a painful lesson.

Pattinson had no answer to the shots detonated against his head and body. He was rocked time and again on his way to losing the WBA international welter title. He had pockets of success, but simply couldn’t put a dent in Walker.

“I did tell you at the press conference,” Conah told me today (Tuesday). “I think the deal is they can have a rematch. I dropped him three times and he retired on his stool. They can have a rematch, but I think it would be silly on their part to take it. I’ll just do it quicker next time.

“I needed that opponent. We just needed a stage and someone prepared to dance with me.

“I have the jewels now and they’ll all be gunning for me.”

Conah simply oozed menace throughout the fight. A body shot clearly hurt Pattinson in the second and he took clumping body shots during the session.

The situation rapidly worsened for the 29-year-old. He was dumped on the canvas in the third and again rocked close to the bell.

He suffered another knockdown in the fifth, gamely attempted to rally in the sixth, but again briefly hit the canvas.

By the eighth, Walker, his left eye bruised and weeping blood, simply hammered the last dregs of resistance from his foe.

Pattinson was thoroughly beaten and his corner knew it.

Walker, clutching the belt, said in the aftermath of one of the year’s biggest upsets: “What could be better than doing that 20 minutes up the road from my home?

“I’ve lost a few – some say robberies, close decisions – but I’ve learned from them. I knew what I was doing wrong in fights. Last fight (against Gardiner), I took too much weight out of me. Now he (Pattinson) has got to go back and think where he went wrong.

“All I saw (in Pattinson’s stoppage win over Jenkins) was gaps and places where I could capitalise.

“There were times in our fight when I thought I had him, I knew he was going. The sixth round, he had a good round and the corner were saying, ‘don’t let him get back in the fight’. I wanted to let him punch because I knew I was going to get him.”

He added: “I love it. Get me back out there, get me another big fight, give me a name.”