Rose: ‘I will be world titleholder by 2029’

Joshua Rose opens-up on Huerta. Picture Chris Dean/Boxxer

“HERE’S a prediction,” Joshua Rose announced straight-faced. “By 2029, I’ll be a world champion.

“Four years from now. One hundred per cent I’ll be a world champion. One million per cent I can achieve that.”

When I spoke to Birmingham’s boxing binman, he was still on a high after his first televised arena fight.

The 20-year-old southpaw didn’t merely triumph on Boxxer’s card at the Valiant Live Arena, Derby, he sparkled.

Rose, a former stand-out amateur, dominated against Mexican Jorge Luis Huerta, forcing the visitor back with hard, fast jabs and sinking in sickening body shots for a whitewash 60-54 win.

That’s some important boxes ticked for Joshua: his first six rounder, his first taste of big-time boxing. Word is, he impressed so much another TV date beckons in February.

“It felt good,” said Rose, managed by Anthony Manning, trained by Gary Turner. “I felt very comfortable there, it felt liked I’d been there before, it felt natural to me.

“The six rounds were comfortable, I felt fit and really strong. I expected him (Huerta) to try to push me back, but he was backing off straight away and I was able to capitalise on that. I was hitting more of him with each round.

“Ben Shalom (Boxxer boss) watched me. I spoke to him and he said it was a great performance and he’ll be in touch.”

Shalom would’ve also liked the numbers that Rose did: “Just under 70 tickets and that was on three weeks’ notice. The support was wicked. Everyone from work came, there were a lot of big men there.”

Rose is a talent blessed with razor-sharp reflexes. But after three straight wins, he’s still a work in progress, he’s still growing. He began his career as a feather just 12 months ago, but has already moved-up four pounds to junior-lightweight.

Tall and lean, I expect him to settle at lightweight.

“My plan for the end of next year is to win a title, whether that’s Midlands or youth,” Rose said. “This has set me up to have a big 2026.

“As far as the business side goes, I’m learning as I go along. (When I turned pro), I never had any expectations because I didn’t know what I was getting into. I’m starting to see things more.”

Rose is yet to stop an opponent, but insists the power is there and ready to be unlocked. “The three fights have been warm-ups,” he added, “and I did show power in my debut (Caine Singh was dropped). If I knew then what I know now, I think I’d stop him.

“Down the line, a lot of people will see me hurting people.”