‘Croydon bomber’ Chas Symonds is seeking redemption ahead of his eagerly anticipated rematch with Michael Lomax on March 21 at York Hall in Bethnal Green.
The 32-year-old, who lost the first fight on points in September last year, will challenge for Lomax’s British Silver Masters light middleweight title.
Symonds, 18-8, is fully focused on the rematch and made no secret of his dislike for Lomax.
“We hate each other, it goes back to the amateur days and we’ve never really got on,” he told SW Londoner.
“After he boxed Kell Brook, I looked up to him.
“He’s been in with the best, he’s won Prizefighter and I tried to say hello to him at a show two months after and he just ignored me.
“I think people like that need to keep their feet firmly to the floor and it’s as if he thinks his s**t doesn’t stink, and I don’t like people like that.
“He thinks he’s better than everyone else and it’s not on and I’m going to put his feet firmly on the floor on March 21.”
I will ko lomax
— chas symonds (@ChasSymonds) February 19, 2015
Symonds lost the first fight over 10 rounds and despite criticising referee Bob Williams for his officiating, admits he’s learnt from his mistakes and can’t see the fight hearing the final bell this time round.
“I’ve got his number now, I gave him too much respect last time,” said Symonds, who is sponsored by Simply Construction.
“I’ll be surprised if it goes the full distance, there’s a lot of hatred between us and I just want to let loose on him.
“He’s going to run and jab and I know what I’ve got to do.
Personally, I can’t see it going past four rounds. “He’s not going to do anything different, he reckons he’s going to come out and have a fight, but I know he doesn’t want to have a fight with me.”
Lomax let’s do it in march u long strick of piss that’s if u ant melting and I’ll give u the 1,000 pound bet u can’t knock me out,
— chas symonds (@ChasSymonds) October 30, 2014
Symonds offered Lomax a £1,000 bet that the Chingford southpaw couldn’t knock him out, but says the 36-year-old backed out showing a sign of weakness.
“I said to him again at the press conference, ‘I’ll bet you £1,000 you can’t knock me out’ and now he’s saying he doesn’t want the bet. He’s obviously not that confident,” he said.
“I’m still standing by it but he said it was a laugh was between him and his trainer.
“He’s back tracking, he gave me his best shots last time and he knows he can’t knock me out.”
Lomax will hang up his gloves after this fight, but for Symonds retirement is the furthest thing from his mind as he looks to re-establish himself as a title contender, but did concede that this is his last chance.
He added: “A cat has got nine lives and I’ve lost eight times so if I lose again it’s over for me.
“But I’m going out all guns blazing and if I win maybe I’ll get a shot at the Commonwealth title.
“My ambition is to go on Prizefighter. I’ve been a reserve twice now, and my dream would be to go on there because I think I can win it.”
The rematch between Michael Lomax and Chas Symonds headlines the York Hall, Bethnal Green on March 21
Image courtesy of iFL TV via YouTube, with thanks
