Watkins vs Okolie: Paul Upton determined to win life-changing fight against Ted Cheeseman
Monday 4 June 2018 17:52, UK
Paul Upton is fully prepared for a life-changing fight against Ted Cheeseman as the London rivals put their unbeaten records on the line.
The Romford man has moved down in weight to battle Bermondsey's Cheeseman for the WBA international super-welterweight title on this Wednesday's JD NXTGEN bill, live on Sky Sports.
Live JD Nxtgen Boxing
At the age of 22, Cheeseman is regarded as one of the hottest prospects in the division, but Upton is determined to pull off a victory that could transform his own career.
"This is a fight for me to change my life," Upton told Sky Sports. "I want this fight more than anything."
Discussing his reasons for facing Cheeseman, the 29-year-old added: "It's the right fight to take at this point.
"If you can't get up for these fights, then why are you in the sport of boxing? I've had a really good training camp this time.
"He's still a young lad. From what I've seen of him, he's a good fighter, and he's got a good engine, but I believe I have what it takes to beat him.
"As he's quite a young lad, I have a lot more experience in the game, I believe."
Cheeseman had to withstand an early storm in his February fight with Carson Jones before he sealed a unanimous decision win over the American veteran.
Upton is not reading too much into that performance, although he warned Cheeseman to brace himself for a more testing physical challenge, along with sharp punching power.
"Jones came in overweight, he wasn't focused on winning the title," said Upton. "He was just looking for big shots and he did run out of steam, but I've trained for the 12 rounds and I'm looking to do a good job.
"My record doesn't suggest that I'm a powerful fighter, but I definitely have power. The guys I've boxed, they've all been tough journeyman, and they just cover up and run.
"If the stoppage does come, then I'll 100 per cent take that."
Watch Ted Cheeseman against Paul Upton on the JD NXTGEN bill, which also features Lawrence Okolie versus Luke Watkins, Reece Bellotti, Daniyar Yeleussinov and more from 7pm this Wednesday on Sky Sports Action.
