Williams and Garton relishing returns to ring after lengthy spells out
BY RICHARD CAWLEY
Darryll Williams and Johnny Garton are both scheduled to fight on Frank Warren’s show at Greenwich’s 02 Arena on Saturday night.
English super-middleweight champion Williams (16-0) is set to end just shy of a year out of the ring and faces Latvia’s Raimonds Sniedze (12-39-2) in a six-round contest.
The Forest Hill man had been due to defend his title until challenger Lennox Clarke pulled out last week with a chest infection.
Garton has also been inactive of late with the Peckham welterweight last in action in December when he won the IBF European title.
Williams, 28, was involved in two crowd-pleasing tear-ups with Jahmaine Smyle last year but looked set to quit the game in November until he was persuaded to box on.
“It is not down to any of my own decisions that I haven’t fought for this long,” he said. “On the positive side, it is probably better that I have a smaller fight to get back in there rather than going straight into a big 10-round fight.
“But it is disheartening to know I am supposed to be fighting a guy [Clarke] and then he pulls out.
“He is still my mandatory unless I vacate. I am wondering about that. He pulled out – it is not my problem. To sit here waiting for him to decide ‘I want it now’ doesn’t make sense.”
Garton has also been left frustrated after his appearance on a show in April fell through.
He gave up his job as a mechanic due to his sponsorship deals with Masons Scaffolding and PSD Scaffolding.
“People don’t think about the money I’ve paid out for a nutritionist, training camps and this and that – when the April fight fell through I’ve had to do it all again.
“For this fight I’m down on money really. My sponsors have been a massive help. They’ve allowed me to go full-time. It’s got to be frustrating for them as well.
“I went from winning the Southern Area title, defending it and then getting the English belt and defending it. Since then it has been stop and go, stop and go.
“It’s mentally challenging. You just have to get on with it and try and stay positive. It does test me at times but if I keep grafting it has got to happen.”
Greenwich heavyweight Daniel Dubois (7-0) challenges for the vacant English title against Tom Little (10-5) on the same show.
