Foster: “Fear Factor Will See Me Through”
Brad Foster insists the “fear factor” will work in his favour when he takes on Leon Gower for the Midlands super bantamweight title on Friday.
Someone’s ‘0’ must go when the two undefeated prospects battle for the belt in the Stadium Suite at the Banks’s Stadium, Walsall Football Club.
Their hotly-anticipated clash is the main event of Errol Johnson’s Black Country Boxing Promotions bill on Friday July 20.
The area crown at the weight hasn’t been contested for nearly 14 years, since the late Chris Edwards scored a second round TKO over Neil Read in September 2004.
The Class of 2018 will now look to honour his memory by looking to put on a fight befitting of a British Boxing Board of Control belt.
Foster has eight wins from nine pro bouts under his belt, a draw with Brett Fidoe the nearest thing to a blemish on his pro record. Two of those victories were by stoppage.
Gower has six wins out of six (three TKOs) and is regarded as the bigger man. Foster started out hovering around the flyweight division. He has come down from featherweight.
A growth spurt from Foster, aged 20, was evidenced by his last ring outing, a six-round points whitewash over Sweden’s Edward Bjorklund in April.
‘The Blade’ feels like he’s grown into becoming a super bantam and see his future at the weight, ambitions he’s vowed not to let Gower destroy.
He said: “This is a fight everybody is excited about, from me to Gower to the fans. The winner will not only take the belt, but get noticed for bigger and better things.
“It has all of the ingredients to be a cracker, it’s the talk of the town wherever I go all ready and I’m training very hard to be as fit as I can possibly be on July 20.
“I’m from Lichfield and Gower is from Burton-on-Trent, so there’s local rivalry and that should make for a great atmosphere when we get in there.
“It’s put up or shut up time, Gower is a strong lad who will be coming to smash my face in, but that fear factor will bring the best Brad out on the night.
“I believe in myself, I think I’m going to win and I’m expecting to have too much for him if I’m at the top of my game. I’m looking forward to showing off my skills.
“There’s respect between us, but I need to beat him. I want to get to the top and Gower is in the way of that as we stand.
“This is going to be the hardest fight either of us has ever had as a professional, no doubt, and we’ve both taken the chance. That’s what I’m in this sport for and so is he.
“I’m determined to become the Midlands champion, the title hasn’t been contested in a while and there’s history behind it. I’ve got to make that happen.”
Tickets, priced at £35 standard or £60 VIP with a hot fork buffet, are available by calling the Walsall FC Box Office on 01922 651 414, extension 416. It will be £40 for entry on the door.
The Grosvenor Casino Walsall, on Bentley Mill Way, are the show’s headline sponsors. They will host the weigh in and after-show party (over 18s).