I'm more than a puncher, says fired-up Welborn

Jason Welborn has hit back at suggestions he's little more than a one-dimensional brawler.

The Midlands Area welterweight champion puts his belt on the line for the first time on Friday [March 23], on a BoxNation-televised, Paul Rowson-promoted bill at Wolverhampton Civic Hall, claiming there's more to his game than power.

Welborn captured his treasured title with a three-round thumping of erratic southpaw Sean McKervey at Walsall Town Hall in November, but can expect a different challenge from another Coventry-based scrapper, James Flinn, 10-1-1 (2), in two days time.

The neat-boxing two-time British Masters boss anticipates being too well-rounded for his flat-footed opponent - and after an amateur career that includes international experience for Wales and pro scalps of capable duo William Warburton and Ben Lawler, who entered on the back of a stoppage victory over unbeaten Rob Hunt, it's hardly a surprise.

Welborn can't boast anywhere near that type of experience. With only ten fights to his name [one win as an amateur and eight wins out of nine in the pros], he's still very much a novice, albeit one who's improved under the tutelage of Black Country fight figure Errol Johnson.

And it's that steady improvement, blended with his fitness, vaunted strength and solid power [three stoppages], that the popular Black Country puncher believes will be the recipe for a successful maiden defence. "We've been working on a few things in the gym," said the 25-year-old, who has never done more than six rounds before.

"Flinn thinks all i'll be able to do is move forwards all night, but I've been sparring with good boxers instead of brawlers," he continued. "He's a nice boxer who has a long amateur career behind him but i'm ready.

"I want to test myself and this is the fight to do it. Plenty are predicting i'll get picked off and out-boxed but i'm going to show that there is a lot more to me than just a strong lad who likes a scrap.

"I'm not going to give my title up without one hell of a fight - and i don't know if he has that same fight and drive in him," Welborn pondered ahead of his second scheduled ten-rounder. 

"I've only lost to [Nottingham's Ingle-trained switcher Tyan] Booth, who was all over the place and heavier. That was a long time ago, though, and i can't see many people around at this weight who would beat me."

For the record, the doors now open at 6pm, with the first bell at 6:30pm. It had previously been advertised as an 8pm start.