Elcock ready to create his own Rocky Story

Hennessy Sports17th November, 2009

Former British Middleweight Champion Wayne "Mad Dog" Elcock believes that two weeks spent in Rocky Marciano's hometown of Brockton, Massachusetts will see him write his own Rocky story by regaining his old title and handing Darren Barker his first defeat later this month.

The two men headline a Hennessy Sports event at the Brentwood Centre on November 28th with the action live on ITV4 and while Elcock admits he's up against it this is one time that "Mad Dog" is happy to be the underdog.

The 35-year-old from Birmingham lost his beloved Lonsdale belt to city rival Matthew Macklin earlier this year but he's determined to prove he's far from a spent force and was willing to go all the way to Brockton to prove it.

"I have a link going back to the Petronelli Brothers' Gym in Brockton for quite a few years now," revealed Elcock. "The place is steeped in boxing history, Rocky Marciano was from there and the Petronelli's made their name by guiding Marvin Hagler to the undisputed World Middleweight title.

"I hadn't been out there in a while and after the Macklin fight I was obviously a bit down. I spoke to Goody Petronelli and he invited me to come out to the gym again for a couple of weeks and it was the best thing I could have done.

"I had almost two weeks over there and basically it was a test to see if I still had the hunger and desire for the sport. I really enjoyed my time out there and it's given me a new lease of life. I was sparring with some really good young fighters who were looking to turn me over and make a name for themselves but I ended up taking all my frustrations out on them."

Elcock believes that a win over Barker will prove that he simply had an off night against Macklin. "I don't want to take away from Macklin's win but that wasn't me in the ring that night. There was lots of stuff going on outside the ring which distracted me and things weren't right going into that fight but I'm focused for this one because I know realistically it's my last chance.

"If I can't pull this off then it could be time to hang up the gloves, that's how seriously I'm taking this fight but if I thought for one moment that I was finished then I'd have hung up my gloves straight after my last fight.

"I'm under no illusions. I know that Barker is a quality young fighter coming through. He's had 20 fights, 13 KO's and he's yet to taste defeat so it's going to be tough but I've never had it easy in my career. I'm always going in to the lion's den and always have a point to prove but that's the way I like it.

"I've never looked for the easy option or dodged anyone and I'm not about to start now. I've got great belief in myself and my ability to do the job and I'm going to give this 150%. This is a fantastic stage for me to prove that the Macklin fight just wasn't me or anything even close to the fighter I know I am and can be."

If he prevails against Barker the former BT engineer says he has two major goals left to accomplish. "I want to win a Lonsdale belt for keeps and beating Barker would put me just one more win away from that. I'd love to hand that belt to my son at that stage so that it can stay in the family.

"Beating Barker would also put me in the mix for a rematch with Macklin. That would be a massive fight in Birmingham. I know some people think that maybe I'm coming to the end but I thrive on people writing me off. I didn't turn professional until I was 25 so I feel that I'm a young 35 and I still have plenty to offer."

The undercard at the Brentwood Centre will feature Colchester's Lee Purdy defending his Southern Area Welterweight title against Wokingham's Mark Douglas. Waltham Abbey middleweight Daniel "Mr. Slick" Cadman will also end a three year hiatus from the ring when he fights on the undercard alongside bouts featuring exciting light middleweight Yassine El Maachi and unbeaten prospects Bradley Evans, Bobby Ward, Phill Fury and Steve Barnes.

Tickets for the bout priced £30 and £80 are available from the Ticketline box office on 0844 888 4402 or via www.ticketline.co.uk.