| ‘The Truth’ driven by promise to son |
| Anthony Tomlinson can take one step closer to fulfilling a promise to his son when he meets Stewart Burt in an Eliminator for the British and Commonwealth Welterweight titles at FlyDSA Arena in Sheffield on Saturday February 8, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US. ‘The Truth’ (11-0, 6 KOs) steps up to fight former Scottish Champion Burt on the undercard of Kell Brook’s ring return against Mark DeLuca in what is a big breakthrough opportunity for the Sheffield born man and his toughest career test to date. Despite taking an unconventional route into the realms of professional boxing, 28-year-old Tomlinson has notched 11 straight victories since his 2017 debut points win in Doncaster, with his current knockout form seeing him climb the rankings and establish himself as a domestic force at 147lbs. Having captured the Central Area title and the IBO Continental strap in his eighth and eleventh fights respectively, Tomlinson heads into February 8 on the back of four explosive KO wins, most recently dispatching of former Midlands Champ, Rob Hunt in the sixth of a scheduled ten. “Anybody that I fight I know that I have the power to get them out of there and I know if I do land it will be an early night”, said Tomlinson. “This fight brings me one step closer to where I want to be so it’s about overcoming this challenge and showcasing to everybody around the world what I can do. “My skillset and awkwardness will cause anyone in this division problems and I don’t believe that Stewart Burt has been in the ring with anyone like me. The power and presence I have in the ring will be new to him and I’m more than confident of getting the win on February 8.” Fighting out of Doncaster under the tutelage of Stefy Bull, Tomlinson is driven by a promise he made to his young son since turning his life around and believes his ability will soon see him fight the best Welterweights in the country. “My son was in the gym and he pointed to a photo and told me he wants that rainbow belt, so that is my motivation for him, to fulfil that promise to my son – I won’t stop until I win that belt”, he added. “I started boxing at 22 and had a troubled past, being involved with gangs and I was in and out of prison. When my son was born and I started boxing it changed my life and gave me that extra light. “I originally got into boxing to start MMA but everything seemed to fall naturally to me in the ring. I have great people around me who have helped me to be where I am now. “I don’t call people out but I believe that I am at the level to be fighting the best in Britain. I feel we are all at a similar level and they also need to fight people like me to prove that they’re the best. If them big domestic fights come along then I will be more than happy to take them. “I have never been hungrier for a fight than this one because I know how close I am to fulfilling a promise to my son. I am so thankful for everyone who supports me and has bought tickets because they are making my dreams come true.” Tomlinson vs. Burt is part of a huge night of action in Sheffield. Kell Brook (38-2, 26 KOs) will be aiming to shake off the ring rust and fire his name back into the mix for a Word Title shot in 2020 when he meets the USA’s Mark DeLuca (24-1, 13 KOs), Kid Galahad (26-1, 15 KOs) takes on Claudio Marrero (24-3, 17 KOs) in a Final Eliminator for the IBF Featherweight crown, Terri Harper (9-0, 5 KOs) clashes with Finland’s Eva Wahlstrom (23-1-2, 3 KOs) in a unification for the WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight World Titles, Dave Allen (17-5-2, 14 KOs) makes his long-awaited return after eight months out of the ring, Brentwood Super-Featherweight Martin Joseph Ward (23-1-2, 11 KOs) returns, Sheffield Super-Featherweight prospect Donte Dixon (2-0, 1 KO) returns, Super-Middleweight John Docherty (7-0, 5 KO) continues his march towards a first title, Leeds Featherweight Hopey Price (2-0, 1 KO) looks to go 3-0 and Sheffield Light-Heavyweight Callum Beardow (1-0) fights for the second time as a pro. |
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