Recently we caught up with UK super middleweight contender Luke Blackledge (18-2-2, 6KO) who takes on Liam Cameron this Saturday at King’s Hall for the vacant Commonwealth title.
By Niall Doran
Your next fight up is a big one, for the vacant Commonwealth title against Liam Cameron. Do you know much about your opponent or what challenges he might present on the night?
“I’ve watched a lot of his fights and done my homework on him, he’s a good, schooled boxer and was an ABA champion but I think that my gameplan will be enough to beat Cameron.”
Your in a red hot division traditionally in the super middleweight category. Where there any fighters in this division you looked up to growing up?
“Yeah definitely. Obviously Carl Froch and I’ve sparred with him now, I did like 60 rounds with him so that was big achievement for me. Even Paul Smith, I remember buying a ticket five years ago to watch Paul Smith and James DeGale in the Liverpool Echo so I’ve come on leaps and bounds since then.
It was a good few years back, around 2010 and I was doing the unlicensed boxing, way before I even thought about pro boxing. Then a few years later I was meant to fight him at the same place but he pulled out at two weeks notice. So to go from watching him back then to almost fighting him not long ago is a big achievement for me.”
Staying on super middleweights, if Joe Calzaghe and Carl Froch fought a few years back, who do you think would have won and why?
“Erm, I think if it went to points then Calzaghe. His hand speed was unbelievable but Carl Froch with his grit and power, there could have been a chance of chinning him in the first eight rounds. Calzaghe was class, you’ve just got to look at his record to see that. He won everything and I think he did quite well as an amateur as well.”
To an average Joe who’s never been in a professional fight, is it possible to put into words what it’s like to get hit from a big puncher who is a professional fighter?
“Basically, from my point of view, you get used to taking punishment because you will always get hit. But for someone whose never took punches like beginners coming into the gym they always flinch. But in the ring you just take them and go forward. For a top level pro, you don’t get knocked out as easy because you’ve practised your defence.
Sometimes you can get a flash knockdown, even in sparring where you’re off balance but it’s a good shot that makes your legs go for a split second but you always get straight back up. The hardest puncher I’ve been in the ring with was probably Erik Skoglund. I’d say in sparring the hardest puncher was Mark Heffron. I’ve sparred everyone, Carl Froch, cruiserweights, but Mark can really punch.”
Obviously dieting is a big part of boxing and making weight is often classed as a fight in itself. But when your not in training, what are some of the cheat foods you like to indulge in?
“I like Chinese food, I like a lot of foods but mostly Chinese food. I like chocolate but I’m easy going really – I like all food!”
Where did your nickname ‘Robbo’ come from?
“It came from the unlicensed fights. Robinson was my mum’s name and Blackledge is my dad’s name. There was another Robinson in the pro’s when I turned over so I used my dad’s name.”
In closing, how do you see the fight on April 4th with Liam Cameron playing out?
“If I can do what I have been doing in the gym then I’ll 100% be getting the win.”
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