By Wayne Bartlett: After posting up a report of Rendall Munroe’s successful first defence of his European super bantamweight title, one man in particular paid notice to the news. Highly EBU ranked super bantamweight, Reidar Walstad.
Expressing his desire to challenge Munroe, Walstad was happy to answer a few questions.
SecondsOut: What’s on the agenda right now Reidar? Any fights coming up?
Reidar Walstad:I have a fight in St. Petersburg, Russia on the 22nd of May against Nikita Lukin of the Ukraine.
SO: Your record is 16-2-2(10), you’ve fought for the European super bantamweight title, yet you drew last time out over four rounds against Sweden’s Karl Larsson Jones. What happened?
RW: After fighting the 12 rounder against Dunne, the tempo of a 4 rounder journeyman put me off somewhat. In my defence, the local newspapers covering the fight called it the most unfair decision of the show. I almost knocked him out in the first two rounds, but my fault I slowed down and allowed him into the fight. The Swedish judges got their chance to make it even…
(The bout took place in Karlstad, Sweden)
SO: Bernard Dunne was then the undefeated holder of the European title you lost to on points in Dublin last year, plus on a visit to these shores back in 2004 you were stopped in a round by Shinny Bayaar. What went wrong in those fights Reidar?
RW: Against Shinny Bayaar I was caught in the first round with a hard shot and was badly cut. The ref correctly stopped the match.
That’s boxing, anything can happen and its one of the things I really love about the sport. Before the fight I was told Bayaar was a novice with only six fights, but later it showed he had already boxed a Title match in Asia..
Against Bernard Dunne I was badly cut again, this time in the second round. But thanks to a fantastic cut man I was in the match the whole time. Dunne was a skilled and smart boxer, clever moving backwards and mostly out of reach of me and I took too much of his left jabs. In the three last rounds I managed to shorten the distance but by then he was too far ahead on points and won fairly. If only there’d have been three rounds left!
SO: At 31 years old now, six years as a professional and ranked within the top ten European super bantamweights, how has your career gone in terms of how you planned?
RW: In the EBU rankings I’m ranked number 3, and this is a position that will give me a new chance to box for the European title again. I missed out one year of my career when my former promoter and employer MSE pulled out of the boxing business. After 2006 me and my father have done all the matching by ourselves along with good help from my London based coach, Chris Hall.
Local sponsors have kept me in the business. They have paid for all training-camps and matching abroad. Remember, professional boxing is banned in Norway so I have had all odds against me, making what I aim to accomplish even harder - to win the European title.
SO: To a boxing fan that hadn’t yet heard of Reidar Walstad or seen you box, how would you describe your style in the ring?
RW: I’m an aggressive fighter that comes forward. I’ve always been told I’m a crowd pleaser that puts on a great show with a sense of dignity to it. I respect my opponents but also play the part where I want to knock them out.
SO: Finally, I know your interested in another crack at the European super bantamweight title now held by Rendall Munroe, what exactly are your plans/targets for the future?
RW: After the fight in St. Petersburg I will train hard and have a fight against a top rated opponent, so the EBU have to put me in a mandatory position. If not, Rendall Munroe could take me on in a voluntary fight….
Judging by the big punching yet mechanical Kiko Martinez’ surrendering of the EBU crown to Munroe on points back in March. The 5ft 5" tall Walstad’s aggression, boxing skills and impressive lateral movement would most certainly pose a dangerous challenge to the smooth boxing champion.
The mix of styles should make for an exciting tussle if the fight is made.
***On May 22nd Reidar Walstad travels to St Petersburg to take on Nikita Lukin in what he hopes is a final win towards a title tilting fight.***
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