Witney’s Townsend heading to new weight-class

PROSPECT Bradley Townsend’s boxing career is heading in a different direction as he revealed his intention of entering a new weight division.

Townsend, who has a perfect record of 9-0 as a professional has campaigned at welterweight since his debut in 2017, but ahead of his next bout in Swindon on Saturday 4^th June, the 27-year-old says he will now be boxing at super-lightweight.

He is set to feature on Neilson Boxing’s Fight Town show in Swindon, alongside fellow Oxfordshire based fighters Gary Sweeney and debutant Ciaran Flanagan.

Townsend is pencilled in for six rounds against Lee Hallet and the unbeaten prospect says he is looking forward to the new experience of making weight and seeing how he feels at 140lbs.

“For my last fight I made welterweight quite easily and my coach Rob (Lloyd-Taylor) said if I was making it that easy then I should be able to make super-lightweight,” he said.

“I think I will be big and strong at that weight and it will suit me.

“Moving to super-lightweight has always been in the back of my mind. A lot of boxer dehydrate to make weight and I’ve never had to do that.

“Rob is a bit more seasoned and he was a professional too so hearing him say that has made me confident I can do it.

“I’ve got to be a bit more conscious with my food, it will be beneficial but it’s all a new experience for me.”

The 27-year-old’s last outing, where he went the distance with Evengii Vazem, was his first fight in over two years but also represented his first contest with new coach Lloyd-Taylor.

Not only did the bout allow Townsend to blow off the cobwebs, it also enabled him to implement his new style, which is what he has been working on with his trainer, since switching from Swindon-based Paddy Fitzpatrick.

“The fight went to plan and I felt really good in there with me new style, I felt a lot better within myself too,” he added.

“Meeting my opponents in the middle of the ring is how I fought as an amateur. Rob wants me to trade off a bit and I don’t mind that.

“It’s actually a lot easier than moving around the ring, it’s less to think about too that’s for sure.

“I’ll learn a lot more from it too because I’m in the pocket and that’s where the hard fights will be.”