Excelsior return for talented Woodall

Steed Woodall has his hand raised after victory in Poland

STEED Woodall is back!

The former world class amateur has his first fight next month since suffering defeat for the British super-middleweight title.

It’s a fairly low key return for Birmingham’s “Stallion”. He’ll box in the plush surroundings of promoter Scott Murray’s Excelsior Sporting Club, in Cannock on September 25.

That’s very different setting from the spacious Canon Medical Arena, Sheffield, where Steed faced British champ Callum Simpson in January for the Lonsdale Belt. Things didn’t go to plan that night, with the 31-year-old stopped in two. He’s not the first to be caught cold.

That early loss gave TV viewers a false impression of Woodall. A product of Eastside gym, he’s a hard-hitting, classy performer who had his first 17 bouts based in America, losing only one.

Remember, last year Woodall ended the long unbeaten run of former British, European and IBO world champ Lerrone Richards with a one pulverising right hand in the sixth.

He is still capable of big things.

But, to date, his 23 bout, 11 year career has been a frustrating, stop start story: a promotional deal with Frank Warren didn’t work out, injury hampered progress.  I truly believe Woodall has yet to show his full potential in the ring.

The frustration is shared by Eastside top trainer Paul “Soggy”. Last year he told me: “Steed’s had a stop-start career. When he came back from America he was expecting big things to happen straight away and it didn’t happen that way – it was delay after delay.”

Woodall, on his day, is a tough task for any 12st boxer in Europe, he has the tools to succeed in world class.

But time to achieve what he should achieve is running out.