Sam Eggington: World glory wasn't part of the long term plan
New IBO champion Sam Eggington admits he could never have planned to claim the belt after a victorious 12-round slugfest over Przemyslaw Zysk.
The Stourbridge boxer landed the vacant super-welterweight title with a hard-fought points victory over the Pole at Coventry’s Skydome on Saturday night.
Eggington’s class was on show in the opening rounds but the tough Zysk, who entered undefeated undefeated from 18 contests, shows he was made of hard stuff by taking no end of blows to stay the distance.
Eventually Eggington was unanimous points victor, taking the cards 119-109, 119-109 and 117-111 to become the first Black Country to win a world title since fellow Stourbridge boxer Rob Norton claimed the WBU cruiserweight belt in 1999.
When quizzed at what came next, he said: “I don’t know, every time we’ve won, from the Midlands title, before the GB camp, before the promoters, it was all bonuses.
“To catch the title we’ve got and to be here with this one, none of this was planned so I can’t say what’s next because we didn’t know this was going to happen.”
‘The Savage’ has now fought back from 2020’s controversial points defeat to Ted Cheeseman with four straight wins and gave a typically dogged, warrior-like performance on what some had billed may be a more straight-forward evening.
Eggington smiled: “I seem to keep fighting them. The last kid from France (Bilel Jkitou), he was the same.
“I need a new team because they keep finding them!”
He added: “It weren’t one-sided but I felt like when I hit him he was going and when he was giving me his best shot it wasn’t really doing much.
“I know I got him a few times and he went a bit and the corner was telling me in the first round I went wild a few times and I didn’t have to. It stored me up for the middle rounds.
“But knockout, points – it doesn’t matter I still got the win.”
On several occasions between rounds one and four it appeared a blooded Zysk may be stopped but the opponent made it through as Eggington, 28, began to work the jab.
Zysk took more blows but, in the latter stages it became clear the contest would be settled on points.
Trainer Jon Pegg said: “We’ve got to say thanks to Sky and Mick Hennessy (promoter) for taking a chance on a kid who nobody took a chance on and look what he’s done. Even when we tell him to box he gives you fights like that.
“Whatever the offer he’s not going to say no. I might – but he’s not going to.”
There was more Black Country boxing success as Tyler Denny claimed the vacant English middleweight title while also exacting revenge on River Wilson-Bent.
The pair shared a controversial technical draw in November but, also in Coventry, Rowley Regis fighter Denny came out on top of a 10-round split decision.
Last time out the bout was stopped in the eighth with Denny well on top due to a facial cut judged to be from a clash of heads.
And the dominant Denny, who is 31 this week, was well on top this time out taking the scores 97-93 and 96-93 in response to a 96-94 in favour of Wilson-Bent for a maiden English strap.
