Rowsell looks towards Hill
By Paul Upham: Australian cruiserweight champion Daniel Rowsell, 16-1-2 (6), took another step towards a Top 10 world ranking by winning the PABA cruiserweight title on Friday night on promoter Kieran O’Connor’s “Respect 3…The Eliminator” card at the Octagon, Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.
Rowsell started slowly against Paul Smallman, 17-13-1 (11), who looked in very good condition and came at him like a tank in the first few rounds. Despite a clear height and reach advantage, Rowsell found himself in the trenches for a war battled on the inside. “I didn’t fight the fight I really wanted to. I wanted to box but I couldn’t get going. I felt I was dominating the fight, but I started a bit slow,” said Rowsell.
“I’m very fit and at the end I felt fine fitness wise. It’s a shame the two eye cuts happened in the last couple of rounds. The whole fight he was holding and I was disappointed that they didn’t pull it up and take a point off.”
Rowsell, who won by unanimous points decision, 117-113, 119-111 and 118-110, was very impressive with his work on the inside and he landed some memorable uppercuts, an area where he has improved of late.
“Overall I was a little bit disappointed, but I’m the champion and I’ve got another belt around my waist. I think I fight to the level of my opponent sometimes and he made me fight that way tonight, but I’m still learning,” said Rowsell, who was presented with his new title belt by the undisputed light-heavyweight champion of the world, who was a special guest at the promotion.
“How many people get their belt presented by Roy Jones Jr, one of the greatest fighters of all time? I was very excited by that.”
Rowsell will get straight back to training and would like to have another fight this year on promoter Kieran O’Connor’s cards in November or December. He has his sights set on WBA cruiserweight champion Virgil Hill who he trained with in the early 1990s.
“I’d like to defend this PABA title and get rated by the WBA and get a shot at Virgil Hill. Put me in the ring with Virgil who is a different type of fighter, he’s a boxer, I can look good and fight well against him. I sparred with him when I was 18 and I went well against him. It’s been a while since that happened and he’s 10 years older now,” said Rowsell.
“Put me in the ring with him and I have a chance of winning.”
Paul Upham
Contributing Editor
Rowsell started slowly against Paul Smallman, 17-13-1 (11), who looked in very good condition and came at him like a tank in the first few rounds. Despite a clear height and reach advantage, Rowsell found himself in the trenches for a war battled on the inside. “I didn’t fight the fight I really wanted to. I wanted to box but I couldn’t get going. I felt I was dominating the fight, but I started a bit slow,” said Rowsell.
“I’m very fit and at the end I felt fine fitness wise. It’s a shame the two eye cuts happened in the last couple of rounds. The whole fight he was holding and I was disappointed that they didn’t pull it up and take a point off.”
Rowsell, who won by unanimous points decision, 117-113, 119-111 and 118-110, was very impressive with his work on the inside and he landed some memorable uppercuts, an area where he has improved of late.
“Overall I was a little bit disappointed, but I’m the champion and I’ve got another belt around my waist. I think I fight to the level of my opponent sometimes and he made me fight that way tonight, but I’m still learning,” said Rowsell, who was presented with his new title belt by the undisputed light-heavyweight champion of the world, who was a special guest at the promotion.
“How many people get their belt presented by Roy Jones Jr, one of the greatest fighters of all time? I was very excited by that.”
Rowsell will get straight back to training and would like to have another fight this year on promoter Kieran O’Connor’s cards in November or December. He has his sights set on WBA cruiserweight champion Virgil Hill who he trained with in the early 1990s.
“I’d like to defend this PABA title and get rated by the WBA and get a shot at Virgil Hill. Put me in the ring with Virgil who is a different type of fighter, he’s a boxer, I can look good and fight well against him. I sparred with him when I was 18 and I went well against him. It’s been a while since that happened and he’s 10 years older now,” said Rowsell.
“Put me in the ring with him and I have a chance of winning.”
Paul Upham
Contributing Editor
SecondsOut Weekly Newsletter
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