We spoke to middleweight Tommy Langford for the first time since his first loss as a pro and talked all things his career and boxing.
Tommy Langford is looking to compete again soon at middleweight (18-1-6KO) following his first loss back in April to Georgian Avtandil Khurtsidze.
Starting off, we asked Tommy about the defeat and how he’s felt since.
How has it been the last few months since your first defeat? A lot of people say in life one learns much more from defeat than success, are there any changes you have made since the loss and how is your mindset ahead of your comeback fight.
“The statement is true, I took so much from that fight and learned loads from the situation in general. The biggest thing I have learnt is that technically world-level opposition don’t present any new or different problems, but what is far better is the mental maturity and discipline required. I didn’t have it for that fight but I feel I’m a better fighter because of it and these are things that I have addressed. Having a strong mental game is far more valuable at that level than great technique. You have to have the mental ability to implement and stick to plans and not let emotions override your decisions.”
Do you know much about your next mooted opponent Jack Arnfield?
“I know Arnfield reasonably well, obviously he’s been on the circuit a while and got a couple decent domestic scalps under his belt recently. What he does, he does well and he’s earned the mandatory status to my British title, so fair play to him. It sets up for a good fight.”
What are you hoping for in your career over the next 12 months or so, any opponents in particular you’d like to face?
“I want to get back winning and get back to being busy again. I don’t mind who I fight particularly, but I want to get myself back up to the position I was in before the loss and that’s looking at a world title shot. If that means defending and owning the Lonsdale belt then I’ll do it, but if I can jump back in the mix then I’ll do that also.”
What do you think of the big fight in your weight class on September 16th between Golovkin and Canelo? Any prediction?
“This is a really great fight and I’m swaying back and forth over who I think wins, which just shows how evenly-matched it is. At the moment about 51% of me thinks Canelo. I feel GGG’s age and his fight schedule, which has been tough and busy, might have caught up with him slightly. And recent performances have shown him too easy to hit. He seems to have forgotten the quality boxing that got him to where he is and if he fights like that against Canelo, well, quite simply, he can’t.”
Tommy’s next fight is expected to be against Jack Arnfield for the British Middleweight title with a date and venue to be confirmed in the near future.
You can follow Tommy Langford on Twitter @Tommy_Langford1
