Windle is closing in on a major title fight

Matt Windle…a pioneer for the light-flyweight division

BIG fight rumours continue to hang over the diminutive frame of Matt Windle.

Windle and the McCrackens, who train him, are remaining title lipped, but I’ve been tipped off the boxer will feature in a major, multi-title bout in June.

The 32-year-old reigning Commonwealth champ deserves it. He has earned his stripes, overcoming highly controversial decision to reach the top.

He is where he is through persistence, some may say sheer bloody-mindedness. And like fine wine, Matt seems to be getting better with age. The 2021 points victory over Neil McCubbin showcased the improvements made.

Last October’s stoppage victory over South African Siphelele Myeza for the vacant Commonwealth title was a real boxing Cinderella story. He grabbed major honours after twice losing Midland title fights via debatable decisions.

But finding meaningful matches at light-fly is no easy task. The division’s cream resides in very flung corners of the planet. That makes bringing them over here to face Birmingham’s “Punching Poet” problematic and expensive.

To add to the difficultly, the light-flyweight division is not recognised in Britain or Europe. Therefore, Windle has become a pioneer for the sport’s smallest men. He’s breathing new life into a dormant weight class.

He told me: “One day, probably not during my career, I’d like to see someone become British or European light-flyweight champion and think, ‘I played a part in that’. It’s a legacy.

“You have to make it happen (create the light-flyweight division) and people will fill into it. Twenty years ago, there weren’t many female boxers, now there are.

“If Britain and Europe did start to recognise it, you’d get boxers – now competing at flyweight – who would want to give it a go.

“I’ve said before, the key is quality not quantity – not focusing on the quantity of possible bouts, but the quality of bouts.

“We were offered a fight with an unbeaten kid in Spain who is currently fighting as a flyweight, but is prepared to come down. The fights are out there.

“As it is, in the Commonwealth there are far more possible opponents than in Britain and Europe. Light-flyweight is where I perform best and I don’t want to jeopardise my ranking.”