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Belfast’s featherweight world
kickboxing champion Gary Hamilton is to celebrate St. Patrick’s
days by fighting; Writes William Bruce.
Hamilton has just signed a deal to defend his featherweight crown
in Toulouse France, and if successful he has another offer of a
fast defence in Corsica, a small Mediterranean Island just three
weeks later on a LIVE TV event.
The featherweight King was talking of vacating his crown last winter
when he challenged for the Light welterweight world title against
the unbeatable Mohammad Samir. Though Hamilton pushed Samir as close
as any opponent has for five rounds in their bone-crunching encounter,
in the end the 5kg weight mark-up and superior skill of Samir beat
him.
However, following the fight, legendary boxing figure Marvelous
Marvin Hagler – who had come along to the Ulster Hall to watch
Hamilton – said the young Belfast athlete should stay at his
original featherweight and challenge all comers again for his crown.
Now that opportunity has come up and Hamilton will travel to France
where he first won his world title back in 2003 knocking out the
champion Pascal Paster in four rounds.
“I was happy to move up to light-welter to fight Samir but
in the end I just didn’t have enough power behind the weight.
Since that fight I decided it was best for me to stay at the featherweight
division and defend my world title that I worked hard for,”
said Hamilton. “It’s too tempting an offer not to take
and it’s not everyday I’ll get the opportunity to fight
in France then in Corsica just weeks apart. Kickboxing is now a
major sport in that part of central Europe and it would be neat
to be among the first to have two world title defences in less than
a month.”
Hamilton’s coach Billy Murray said the toughest part now for
Hamilton will be getting down to 60kg.
“Gary is the finest talent I’ve ever looked after,”
he said. “But he’s a little older now than when he first
won the title so it will be hard to make the weight. Last year has
been one where focus has been on family for him. He got married,
had a daughter, bought a home – he has remained committed
to training but there have been other external factors.” Murray
added.
“But its his title and someone would need to be very special
to take it off him at the 60kg division – it hurt him a lot
to lose against Mohammad Samir but I think he has learnt a lot from
then and sometimes we all need to go back before we can go forward
and that’s were Gary Hamilton is headed. Now everything is
settled at home, he wants it back. It’ll be tough for the
26 year-old to get down to that weight – considering he has
fought all the way to welterweight in the last number of months
– but he has real desire to get it back. He wants it back
big style. I can’t wait to see him back in that ring defending
his title that he’s held for three years – then returning
to his people in Belfast a conquering hero. “It’s going
to be a big 2007 for Gary Hamilton with his title.”
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