ECHO columnist Chris Billam-Smith outlines the protocols for his Commonwealth cruiserweight title bout against Nathan Thorley at Matchroom Fight Camp on August 7, as well as offering a rallying call to Cherries fans amid the club’s relegation scrap.

Just under five weeks to go until Fight Camp now.

I thought I’d explain how this fight week would be different from usual.

We (the team) will have to go in on the Tuesday to get our COVID-19 tests, then isolate in a room until our tests come back negative.

Providing they do, we will then be allowed into the ‘bubble’ (still unsure what this is at this moment in time).

Then we will have limited areas we can access on the whole of fight week.

Thankfully, I’m lucky to have my stablemate, Anthony Fowler, on the same card, so we will have myself, him, Shane, Josh Pritchard, all together and the mood will be brilliant as we all have a great laugh and get on so well.

Bournemouth Echo:

I assume we’ll have to take all our food and everything we need with us, so preparation for fight week will have to be very meticulous as it’s not like we can pop to shop if we forget something.

I’m excited and interested to see how it all goes and it’ll be a really good experience.

Training is going great and I had my first spar back this week with stablemate Lawrence Okolie, which, as always, is world-class work.

Lawrence is awaiting a date for his world title fight which is likely to be on Anthony Joshua’s undercard when he fights Kubrat Pulev later this year. That leads me nicely on to a question I got this week from Tom Jacques.

How do you see the fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury going?

There is so many variables still in the way before that fight happens and I urge boxing fans not to get too excited, yet.

However, if and when the fight happens, it’s a great fight which is more interesting now since Fury has added a new aspect to his game.

He used to be just awkward and long range but in the last fight he walked down and bullied the hard-hitting Deontay Wilder using his size and strength.

Due to that, I ever so slightly edge towards Fury, but never count out somebody who can punch as hard in combinations as AJ.

Boxing and its fans really are the winner when fights like that happen when both fighters are in their prime.

Bournemouth Echo:

Thanks for the question Tom and thanks for reading everyone.

Peace out,

CBS

  • P.S. Cherries fans – keep the faith and support for the lads.

Us as fans are needed now more than ever, even if we can’t attend the events.

Up the Cherries!