Tough night ahead for smooth Booth
Friday 10 September 2010
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EmailJason Booth may go by the name of "Too Smooth," but his life could be best described as taking the rough with the smooth - and there's been plenty of rough times in his life.
Having walked down the dead-end road of alcohol addiction the Nottingham recovery-hero now stands just one fight away from walking on streets of gold, when he challenges Canadian Steve Molitor for the IBF super-bantamweight title tonight in Houghton-Le-Spring.
Victory for Booth would mark a true-life Rocky-style ending for a man who could quite easily have been on life's scrapheap many rounds ago. Instead, he now stands as an inspiration to all those who have had their own personal battle with the bottle.
However the 31-year-old will have his work cut out if he is to complete the final chapter of his success story as Molitor has suffered just one defeat in his 33 fight career which sees him in his second reign as champion.
Some fight insiders feel Molitor has never fully recovered from his one professional setback when he was destroyed by Celestino Caballero in 2008.
However I met both men recently at a head-to-head press conference. Molitor impressed me with his unshakeable focus and he portrayed the look of a man ready to care of the job in hand.
Promoter Frank Maloney's website has been running a fans' voting section for the fight and Molitor is the pick of the British public.
Yet a Booth victory would be a true fairytale ending and, although I want to see the story concluding happily ever after for the Englishman, I sense that Molitor's experience at world level may prove a telling factor even though Booth will be ready to fight until the end.
Even though neither man is a knockout king I think a stoppage somewhere after halfway is the likely outcome. But I sincerely hope Booth proves me wrong.
Also tonight in Frankfurt, Germany, IBF, IBO and WBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko goes over old ground once again when he faces former foe Samuel Peter - a man who floored him three times when they first met some five years ago.
That night Wladimir recovered from his falls to gain the decision against the then tough Nigerian, so can Peter go one step better and win it this time?
In the words of promoter Don King "he has two chances - a slim chance and no chance."
Peter was badly beaten by Wladimir's brother Vitali in 2008 and he has hardly improved since.
I see an easy night for Wladimir who like his brother needs a real test.
David Haye and Audley Harrison would love to oblige.
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