Croydon boxer Chas Symonds says his WBF title shot against Craig Docherty next month could change his life.
Symonds, a two-time Southern Area welterweight title holder, hung up his gloves early last year after the second of two straight losses to Michael Lomax at York Hall in Bethnal Green.
But the 33-year-old jumped at the chance to come out of retirement when he got the call about the World Boxing Foundation’s super welterweight title bout on April 23 in Paisley in Scotland.
He said: “I’ve been given an opportunity to go and get a world title; it’s like giving a starving man a chocolate bar.
“It’s going to be a Rocky style story; it’s going to change my life.”
His opponent, 36-year-old Docherty, has a record of 27 wins from 35 fights and is heavily favoured, but Symonds believes promoters are expecting an easy win for the former Commonwealth super welterweight title holder.
However Symonds, who has 18 wins from 27 fights, feels he has been taken lightly and can upset the apple cart.
He added: “I’m no fool, I’ve been signed up to lose, but the promoters have underrated me, they’ve called the wrong person up.
“I’m going to wear my heart on my sleeve, win the fight and bring the belt back to London.”
Far from being intimidated by the fight taking place in Docherty’s native Scotland, Symonds feels it will ease the pressure on him and predicts an exciting fight.
He said: “Obviously coming from Scotland the crowd will support him but that doesn’t faze me.
“Docherty is going to come at me in the fight and it’s going to be an absolute battle, a real entertaining fight.”
The fight is scheduled for St George’s Day at the Lagoon Leisure Centre in Paisley.
Tickets under Symonds’ allocation are available via Chas Symonds’ Facebook page.
Image courtesy of Chas Symonds, with thanks
