Sam Noakes is expecting a long, hard night’s work against Ryan Walsh
Undefeated powerhouse Sam Noakes (15-0, 14KO) defends his British lightweight title to former British featherweight ruler Ryan Walsh (29-4-2, 13KO) on Saturday, December 7, at Wembley Arena, live on TNT Sports.
The triple title fight – involving Noakes’ British, Commonwealth and WBO International lightweight titles – is part of a stacked Frank Warren-promoted card that also features a British middleweight title fight between champion Brad Pauls and challenger Denzel Bentley.
The unbeaten Maidstone man won the vacant Lonsdale belt in February this year by stopping the English champion Lewis Sylvester in four rounds, and now makes his maiden defence to 38-year-old Walsh, who reigned as British featherweight champion for almost six years between 2015-2021.
27-year-old Noakes told Dev Sahni from Queensberry Promotions how his preparation for the fight has gone, “Been training really hard, showing discipline and climbing up through the ranks. I just try to soldier on, be the best I can be, keep putting the work in; I don’t really think about things too much.”
After just 15 fights, Noakes is now ranked #10 in the WBC World lightweight ratings.
Norfolk’s Walsh defeated the highly regarded Reece Mould in the first round of their September fight in Sheffield after he landed a crunching right hook to the temple that took favourite’s legs away from him. It was a quick, crushing, clinical finish from the Cromer combatant to land him the British title shot at a weight above where he used to reign.
Sam praised Ryan for his incredible performance, “Brilliant win,” he begun. “I’m not gonna fault it. I’m not gonna say he caught him cold or a lucky shot, its boxing isn’t it, he’s obviously aimed to throw that shot. But maybe Reece Mould overlooked [him].
“Obviously, that win there has made me think I’m not going to do the same, I’m going in there level-headed and I know it’s going to be the toughest fight of my career, without a doubt.”
Noakes further divulged why he thinks it will prove to be the toughest, “He’s very durable, he ain’t got no quit in him, he’s got a lot of experience, he’s confident, so he’s coming to win, and its gonna make for a good fight.
“It’s gonna bring out the best in both of us; a good, live fight. It’s just business as usual. I know I can’t slip up because the man’s up for it, but that only brings out the best in me because I know I have to be alert for the full 12 rounds.”
The Kent puncher has knocked out all but one of his 15 opponents, and that was the teak-tough Frenchman Yvan Mendy, who hasn’t been stopped in 57 fights.
Walsh hasn’t been stopped in 35 bouts, so when asked if he can see this contest also going the distance, Noakes very openly answered, “If I’m being brutally honest with you, I probably do.
“He hasn’t got quit in him and he ain’t never been stopped. He’s been in there with a lot of good people. I just think it’s my time and I’m going to give it absolutely everything I’ve got.”
Walsh has been a pro for over 16 years now and this will serve as his eighth British championship contest. He defended his Lonsdale belt six times during his extended rule and never lost the belt in the ring.
“I’m where I want to be in this moment in time,” Walsh said. “Consistency, discipline and being really stubborn… I’m right where I should be.”
The philosophical fighter and a self-confessed deep thinker, Walsh firmly believes in fate, “There’s so many things aligning – I’ve got ‘seven’ [written] on my shorts; I’ve had that for over 15-16 years, it’s my number; December 7th; and its [called] Magnificent 7… if I was writing this, I couldn’t write it better myself. I mean, how many more coincidences do you need? And I just found out I’ve got a baby due in the seventh month, so I’m just going to walk the path that’s clearly been laid out for me.
“At the point in my career now I want to fight the best fighters while I can. Sam’s obviously in that same position, that’s why I think I got the call.”
DID YOU KNOW? In 2015, Ryan and his brother Liam became the first twins to hold British titles at the same time.
Sam will be joined by his older brother Sean Noakes, 29, as he defends his English welterweight title to fellow undefeated Brit, ‘Magic’ Mathew Rennie, on the same card.
