Booths Aims To Be A Happy Man

Jason Booth insists he will walk away from boxing a happy man if he wins the Lonsdale belt outright tomorrow night (5th Feb).

Booth, 32, makes the third defence of his British super-bantamweight crown when he faces Matthew Marsh (13-1) at Nottingham’s Harvey Hadden Centre, meaning the belt will be his for keeps if he wins. It will be his 16th major title fight in a rollercoaster career spanning almost 14 years.

Booth says: ""If I could win the Lonsdale belt outright I will have achieved what I wanted to when I started out and I’ll be happy with that.

"I would like to go further, but anything after this is a bonus."

Booth capitalised on Marsh’s misfortune last year, when the Londoner gave up this title because of weight-making problems. Booth won the vacant crown against Mark Moran last April and has looked impressive in subsequent defences against Rocky Dean and Michael Hunter.

The Nottingham fighter, beaten just five times in 39 fights added: "I don’t think a lot of Marsh, but I know he is going to try, come forward and has a winning mentality."

Marsh’s trainer Johnny Eames believes Marsh’s weight making problems are a thing of the past, after he started working with a professor who is a specialist in dietary problems.

Eames said: "Matthew needed a rest from boxing last year because all he has done since he was 12-years-old was making weight.

"He took a few months out of the gym and now has got professional advice and is doing the weight properly.

"There is no way Booth can beat him over 12 rounds and everybody at the gym has piled money on Matthew to win on points at 10-1."

Tickets for the star studded Nottingham show priced £35 and £85 are available from www.frankmaloney.com

February 3, 2010