WATSON PLANNING ON HURTING CROLLA

John Watson is aiming to fulfil his dreams of becoming British champion this weekend and he's planning on bring the pain to title rival Anthony Crolla in the process.
Liverpool's stylish lightweight challenger says he has recovered 100% both physically and mentally from his first Lonsdale Belt attempt in November when he was stopped his his tracks in the penultimate round by former world champion Gavin Rees in South Wales.
With a home crowd behind him at Liverpool Olympia, Watson is brimming with confidence ahead of Saturday night's Sky Sports live title fight.
"It's going to be a great night I can feel it," buzzed the Huyton native. "It's all come together at the last minute a little bit with the fight only switching to Liverpool two weeks ago but I have had a good seven-week camp and I am feeling very strong and confident.
"I was preparing to face Rees in Wales and I honestly believed that this time I would stop him. I was planning on pushing Rees backwards and I wanted to hurt him and eventually stop him. But that same gameplan just applies to Crolla now.
"This is my time and my town. This is the biggest night of my career so far without doubt and I am ready for it.

John Watson is planning on capturing the
British title in his home town on Saturday

"Matchroom have done really well to keep this fight alive after Rees pulled out, they've moved it to Liverpool and they've brought in a very worthy opponent for me. But I want this so much, I've worked so hard for it."
Owning the famous golden Lonsdale Belt is the dream of most British boxers when they turn professional and Watson is no different.
"When I turned pro that was my only goal and it remains as such today. I want to win the Lonsdale Belt - that is my dream. Once I have achieved that perhaps I will have a new dream, but until that goal is reached I can think of nothing better to win.
"And it's made even more special by the fact that the fight is happening on my old stomping ground. I made my debut at the Olympia and fought six of my first eight fights in that ring. I never failed to perform there and that's going to be the case on Saturday as well. It feels like going home, going home on the biggest night of my career. I can't wait."
Crolla however will naturally have other ideas. He is a very neat and tidy fighter with flashes of raw power - albeit more regularly at super-featherweight.
His 19-2 record overshadows Watson's 13-1 slate, while he enters the ring on the back of the best win of his career to date, stopping the once teak-tough Andy Morris with a body shot back in October to claim the English crown. One criticism is that his career has moved along slowly, yet when you are still only 24 years of age what's the rush?

Anthony Crolla celebrates the best win of his career when
he stopped city rival Andy Morris last time out

Watson agrees. " He's a good fighter, with an very good defence. He's also totally different from Rees. I watched his last fight against Morris and it was a really impressive stoppage, but for me he was losing that fight before he turned it around with one big shot. I know what to expect from him.
"But I also know that I have got the edge over him in every area. Ability, power and boxing brain, I believe I will have too much of everything and that's why I am promising to step in close and hurt him. It's nothing personal, I just want to show everybody that I am the real deal. That I have learned from the mistakes of the Rees fight and that I am a worthy British champion."
Losing his first shot against Rees clearly still plays on the mind of the former ABA champion and Watson is determined to lay that ghost to rest sooner rather than later.
He finished; "That drive home from south Wales the morning after the Rees fight was tough. I regretted so much and beat myself up a little. But that is gone. It was a painful lesson to learn but I did learn from it and it's made me stronger and gave me a lot of experience. I'll show that on Saturday night.
"This is my night, my home town and my British title belt. I aim to prove that once and for all against Anthony Crolla."

* Robin Reid is off Saturday night's bill - if he, like George Groves, was ever actually ever on it!
'The Reaperman', who is returning especially for the Prizefighter: Super-middleweights tournament back at the Olympia on March 11th, has switched his warm-up fight to the Hatton's Bolton show on February 26th.

* Tickets for Saturday's British title fight card, which also features Wallasey's Stevie Williams and a domestic title class undercard are still available from the Box Office on 0151 2636633.