Birchall’s in for a real shock, vows Morris

Morris and Richie Carter….he’s faces red-hot prospect in Birmingham

THE big fights keep stacking up for Richie Carter’s Wolverhampton gym. For a fairly small sweatshop, it’s crashing some big parties.

Latest to get the arena call is two time Midlands title challenger Lewis Morris who’ll face Nelson Birchall – tipped by many as the next big thing – on Queensberry’s megashow at BP Pulse Live, Birmingham, on September 26.

It’s a super-featherweight 10 rounder taken by Walsall’s Morris at just over two weeks notice. Make no mistake, he’ll start a prohibitive underdog against the former English featherweight champ – and then some. You’ll get shorter odds for betting on snow on Christmas day.

The form-line favours Morecambe’s Birchall. They have a common opponent in Ryan Griffiths: Lewis has lost to and drawn with the Dudley boxer in Midlands title clashes, Nelson stopped him in nine for the English.

Yet I’m intrigued by the match, and not just because there’s history between 21-year-old Birchall, unbeaten in 11, and the Wolverhampton gym.

Nelson was to have faced Gully Powar – part of Carter’s stable – for the vacant British title, but pulled out, stating he could no longer make the featherweight limit. “In my head it says he’s a bit of a quitter,” Morris, aged 24, said.

“He’s been offered the title fight at feather and pulled out. He’s gone to the press conference and looked at Gully and thought, ‘he’s not scared of me’.”

We know Birchall was a truly outstanding amateur at schoolboy and youth level, winning nine English and British titles, capturing a world bronze medal, representing his country in five internationals and winning six Box Cup tournaments. We know he carries power.

Despite the build-up, we don’t yet know how good he can be as a pro: there’s no senior amateur CV to provide guidance.

We don’t yet know how good Morris (11-4-1) is, he and his team say. He’s not shown his true potential, but they insist one day it will click. It certainly didn’t click in his last big stage opportunity: Alfie Middlemiss soundly outpointed a below-par Lewis.

“When I turn up on the night the way I know I can turn up, I’m a handful for anyone,” Morris said. “I know I can beat anyone.

“I know he (Birchall) was a very good amateur, I know he’s strong, but I don’t think he’s got anything I haven’t seen before. I have no pressure at all. It’s short notice, two-and-a-half weeks notice, but I boxed four rounds the other week, I done 12 rounds in the gym sparring, I know I’m there.

“I think I’ll pull it off, he’s going to be in for a real shock. Ryan (Griffiths) showed he’s beatable – I had their fight even going into the ninth round, I don’t think Ryan was out of it.”

Morris added: “Making super-feather has made me realise I do need to go up (in weight) because I feel like a different kid, I feel great, I don’t feel drained, it’s all going to be good.

“I want to keep fighting these types of people. I just love boxing, I’ll never say no to any fight. As long as I’m being paid right and it makes sense, I’ll never say no.”