SHARP: MY TIME HAS COME

On October 6 in Leicester, two of the finest super featherweight prospects in the land will trade blows in a bid to protect their unbeaten records. It is a rivalry that came to life on social media but now it is for real and Archie offers up his take on how the fight will pan out in his latest Fighter Diary…

FIGHTER DIARY BY ARCHIE SHARP

MY FIGHT AGAINST Lyon Woodstock is one that has come out of nowhere to some extent. Fighting for the Southern Area title was obviously our plan when Craig Poxton held the title.

He then vacated it and I was given a couple of other names I could fight for the title against, but they weren’t the fights I was after. The office then came to me and asked if I wanted the Woodstock fight and I said ‘sweet, no worries’.

That is where this has all come from, they offered me the fight, I said yes and now it is happening.

I’ve done my learning fights now and got the rounds in, which is what it is all about, learning the trade. Ability-wise, back in the amateur days, I boxed some unbelievable kids and I beat them.

So this ain’t no different for me. We’re going to win, that is why we are doing it and it is going to happen.

There will be more hype around this one and I will enjoy it 100 per cent. This is what it’s about, what boxing is about and I love it, I love being on the big stages and I thrive on it.

The bigger the stage the better me you will see and the bigger the opponent the better me you will see.

The verbal stuff is a bit new for me but, at the end of the day, no matter how much I talk or he talks, the fight is made and it is only me and him in the ring. Whatever talking goes on, I’ve done my training, sparring and I’ve got my game plans that I will stick to.

I’ve got plenty of them and I will always find a way to win. That is the difference between me and him.

Of course it will be different exchanging words with my opponent but I am mentally strong and more than prepared for it. My mind coach Linda is spot on with all that and this is what it is all about.

I am mentally strong and fit so the best man will win on the night and that will be me.

Fighting talk aside, I know Lyon Woodstock is a good fighter and strong fighter, but that is all he is. He is a strong one-dimensional fighter and I am above this level.

He is not as schooled as me, I have boxed all sorts of fighters and beaten them all because I know the game plans and know how to adapt. Great fighters know how to adapt and I know what to do.

I personally do not think he has got that in him. He boxed Poxton and had ten hard rounds with him, but he could have made it a lot easier than he did. That is the difference between me and him.

I know this is my first significant step up in the pro game and I haven’t really had it put on me yet. I’ve not really had anyone manage to hit me yet!

My sparring is second to none though and I spar the likes of Joe Cordina, Ricky Burns, Martin Ward, Mick Conlan amongst loads of others.

I am prepared and the time is right for me. You need the learning fights and that is what we’ve done, now it is time to step up and we want titles.

The super featherweight division is very busy at the minute and me and Woodstock are the same age with the same sort of record, so this fight just makes sense.

People say they want young prospects to fight each other and I totally agree. This is what the fans want and it is happening.