By Jack Sumner @Jack_Sumner_
‘The Quiet Man' of British boxing is ‘Ready To Silence The
World’ in his home town on Friday evening, as Martin Gethin headlines the Frank
Warren bill in a world title final eliminator at Walsall Town Hall. Gethin
takes on Panama’s Ammeth Diaz, a one-time world title challenger, with the
winner receiving a shot at the IBF lightweight king, Miguel Vazquez.
It’s fairytale stuff for the 29-year-old Midlands man who
remains under the radar and was at one stage ready to quit the sport, following
three consecutive defeats in 2009 which culminated in a four round points loss
to journeyman Chris Long. Since then however Gethin (24-3-1, 11 KO’s) has won
nine straight and stopped his last four opponents, including an eleventh TKO of
Carl Johanneson and ninth round stoppage of Ben Murphy, the latter handing him
the British title in January.
Despite that sparkling run through the domestic scene that
has revitalised his career, Gethin must have to pinch himself to think that
he’s merely one win away from challenging for Vazquez’s world crown. Diaz
(31-11, 22 KO’s) on the other hand has had the pleasure, if you can call it
that, of taking the tricky Mexican to task before, his last defeat a failed
attempt to wrest the IBF strap away from ‘The Puppet’.
Diaz lost a landslide points decision to Vazquez in January
of 2012, but rebounded with a fifth-round knockout of Stanley Mendez in
September of last year. That would curiously keep Diaz at #6 in the IBF
rankings, despite Mendez being 8-6-2 and coming off a sixth-round stoppage
defeat. Even more curious is the bout with the #10 ranked contender Gethin
earning final eliminator status, but take nothing away from Gethin who has
charted a steady progression to get this far.
On paper, it’s a big ask for Gethin to go any further with
Diaz more experienced, possessing a better resume and the knockout power his
record would suggest, but his best days could well be behind him and his career
has always been enigmatic. A number of knockout defeats litter between his most
impressive wins but he has mixed with and beaten much higher opposition. He
holds a four round knockout victory over Raymundo Beltran and shocked the hyped
Australian contender Leonardo Zappavigna in his backyard. ‘Zappa’ was heavily
favoured and returning home from his only loss – a points defeat to Vazquez
would you know – before Diaz tore up the script and put him away in the fifth
round.
Coming into Gethin’s manor he won’t be shaken by the
hometown support but with an eye on a Vazquez rematch, might he overlook the
Quiet Man? Here’s hoping, if it sees him fail to silence the Walsall crowd and
keeps Martin on course to silence the world.
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