REECE MOULD has been inspired by old rival Leigh Wood’s World title heroics.
Mould (14-1, 6 KOs) is looking to illuminate Blackpool when he boxes in the seaside town on Friday (April 8th) over eight rounds.
His headline fight is part of “An Evening with Ricky Hatton” in aid of prostate cancer, that VIP Boxing are staging at the world famous Winter Gardens.
Reece was pushing Wood hard in a close British Featherweight title fight last February, before losing in the ninth round.
Five months later, Wood ripped the WBA championship from Can Xu and last month knocked out Michael Conlan in one of the greatest fights ever seen in a British ring.
Mould, 27, said: “I challenged Leigh in my 14th professional fight and I’ve not lost anything from that.
“I know that was a blemish on my record, but it just shows what I did in the fight because he is now a World champion, and a good one.
“Going into that ninth round I was two rounds up even with being knocked down in the fourth round.
“What Leigh has gone on and achieved has helped me a lot and I know how well I did that night. I did a lot better than most thought I would do.
“If I win the Commonwealth title people will wonder if I’m going to get a rematch, but he has moved on to bigger and better things.
“He is looking at big money fights like Josh Warrington in a unification or a Conlan rematch. He will be done by the time I get up there.”
Mould had hoped to box a Commonwealth Super-Featherweight title eliminator in Blackpool. He had been matched against Ghana’s Patrick Okine, but the British Boxing Board of Control have currently suspended boxers from the African nation.
The Commonwealth championship is currently held by Mould’s VIP stablemate Zelfa Barrett, but he recently won a World title eliminator and has a European championship fight lined up.
Reece who expects the Manchester man to relinquish his Commonwealth title has been sparring with Warrington and Maxi Hughes..
Mould added: “It’s disappointing, but I think Steve Wood will make sure I’m in place to fight for the Commonwealth title in the near future. He has promised me a big fight very soon.
“Seeing Josh and Maxi do so well helps me. And, when you see the size of the purse bids for Leigh against Conlan it drives me on even more.
“If I can win the Commonwealth title soon before you know it there’s the British and it could fall in place for me like it did for Josh and Maxi.”
VIP Boxing head Steve Wood added: “Leigh Wood’s performances in his subsequent fights show just how well Reece did with so few fights. With more experience, who knows what might have happened.
“We are all gutted that the Commonwealth eliminator fell apart, but once Reece gets Friday’s fight out of the way we will push him towards a big fight.”
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