Exclusive:'I've got another good run in me' - Doncaster's Maxi Hughes out to pump brakes on Giorgio Visioli ascent
Doncaster’s Maxi Hughes previews his battle with Giorgio Visioli at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield
Doncaster veteran Maxi Hughes is very aware of the prevailing narrative ahead of his battle with Giorgio Visioli.
The latter is one of boxing’s rising stars, an unbeaten prodigy with the English lightweight title draped across his shoulder. Undoubtedly one of the poster boys of the new generation, 23-year-old Visioli is a fighter Matchroom see pound signs in the eyes of.
36-year-old Hughes, a seasoned professional with 40 bouts under his belt, will be dismissed by many as another rung on Visioli’s ladder to the top. The Yorkshireman does not see it that way.
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Maxi Hughes not finished yet
“I don't know if I'm punch drunk or deluded, but I feel like I've got another good run in me,” Hughes told The Yorkshire Post. “You know, getting back onto the world stage and challenging the world contenders.
“I will get a bit out of it (disrupting the narrative), I won't lie. But I'm just seeing it as it's just the man in front of me. It doesn't matter what anybody else is seeing it as or what it's being put at. It's just another fight for me, you know, one that I intend on winning and coming through.”
Visoli is a precocious prodigy but Hughes has a wealth of experience on which he can lean. The seasoned southpaw has a history of scoring upset wins too - something Gary Cully can attest to.
“I know he's a good kid,” said Hughes. “He's passed all his tests so far.
“Obviously, the experience lies with me. It's my job to show that I’ve still got it to perform and use that experience.”
Yorkshire talent on the bill
The WBC international silver lightweight title bout is in the chief support slot at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena, scheduled to take place before Dalton Smith’s battle with Alberto Puello tomorrow (October 24).
Those who arrive early doors will be able to run the rule over an array of Yorkshire fighters, with plenty of homegrown talent set to be showcased.
Kicking off the bill is Sheffield middleweight Chris Mulunda, who shares a gym with headliner Smith and will face Harley Collison.
There will also be an all-Yorkshire welterweight affair as Doncaster’s Joe Hayden locks horns with York’s Will Harrison. Also flying the flag for Doncaster is super-featherweight Ed Hardy, who will take on Ibrahim Nadim.
Before the chief support slot, York heavyweight Leo Atang will step up a level again to tackle Argentine Jonathan Vergara.