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Dazzo fights tomorrow
Tomorrow evening sees Sky Sports back in Hereford not to cover a football match at Edgar Street but over at the Leisure Center to televise Hereford United supporter Dazzo Williams' attempt to keep his featherweight belt when he takes on Roy Rutherford from Coventry.
29 year-old Darren Williams, who took up boxing in the army, lives at Newton Farm, and came to attention last November when he took the British featherweight title from Coventry's Roy Rutherford after 12 hard rounds in Belfast.
He turned professional in 2001 and has only lost twice in twelve fights since then.
After the Belfast fight Sky Sports reported that following an absorbing contest, defending champion Rutherford seemed a clear winner and the neutral Belfast crowd let their feelings be known with a chorus of boos when referee Paul Thomas raised the hand of Williams.
The action was relentless with both men giving and taking solid blows but Rutherford seemed to have the edge at the end and will no doubt seek an immediate rematch following referee Thomas' 115-114 decision in favour of Williams.
The following Saturday Dazzo came to Edgar Street to show off his belt.
Pyramid football reported the visit in its match report: "The home fans had the opportunity to celebrate the success of Hereford prize-fighter, transplanted Londoner, Dazzo Williams pre-match as the newly crowned British Featherweight Champion took to the field to parade his Belt. No doubt the home fans believed they would soon have more reasons for celebration when the teams took to the field."
They did as the Bulls defeated Farnborough that Saturday 2-0.
For his next bout Williams was matched against Jamie McKeever at Bridgend.
And before the fight Dazzo gained a high-profile supporter when he met former world light-heavyweight champion John Conteh who wished the Hereford star every success at Hereford United's sporting dinner at the Three Counties Hotel.
Dazzo convincingly won the bout which was watched by many of his fans from Hereford.
Barry McGuigan, the Irish boxer turned pundit, said after the fight that he was impressed with the manner in which Williams went about his defence of the belt.
"I was not generous enough to Dazzo before, but I thought he boxed brilliantly," he said. "He handled and contained Jamie McKeever very well. He's matured as a fighter.
"The featherweight division is red-hot at the moment."
Former WBC lightweight champion Jim Watt predicted at the time that Rutherford would be Williams' next opponent. He saw the fight in Belfast and having seen him dismiss McKeever so convincingly, Watt believes the new champ can finally dispel any doubts left by the countroversial decision first time round.
"He has every chance against Roy Rutherford," he said. "I thought Rutherford was very unfortunate to lose his title, but Williams has improved with being champion.
"It will be tough for him, but it is definitely one he can win."
After the fight Williams told the Hereford Times: "Without wanting to sound big-headed I thought I won it by more than three rounds. But give credit to McKeever, I hit him with some big shots and he wouldn't go down - he must have an iron jaw!"
Williams went to Tenerife last month for altitude training, although he was also hopeful of getting in some sparring during his stay on the Canary Island. "After that it's back home for a couple of days before starting training again in Wales," he said.
Tickets are virually sold out for the bout, but Williams will be pleased that the Leisure Center will be full of his supporters including many who also support Hereford United (hopefully in their yellow shirts which would look good on Sky).
Good luck Dazzo.