English champion boxer Kay Prosper has labelled EBU European Super-Lightweight king Sandor Martin “boring” and “negative” and plans to shock the Spaniard in Barcelona tonight to return home for a dream defence at Luton Town Football Club.
The Hockwell Ring fighter, who mentors local kids and founded the amateur boxing club in the area with his cousin Paul Webb, was selected by the Spanish champion as part of his voluntary defence.
The fact Prosper is even able to travel to Catalonia has been a fight in itself as, even though he was born and raised in Luton, he wasn’t allowed a passport until three years ago, as part of the fallout from the Windrush scandal.
But having used it for the first time to travel abroad to Portugal for a training camp with British heavyweight prospect Dillian Whyte and their trainer, IQ Boxing’s Xavier Miller, Prosper’s second ever passport stamp takes him to Spain for the biggest opportunity of his career.
The 36-year-old, who won the English title in September 2019, knows that upsetting Martin will put him on the world stage of boxing and hopefully put him centre stage at Kenilworth Road, home of his beloved Hatters.
Speaking on the Matchroom radio podcast, Prosper said: “Winning this European title, that’ll put enough bums on seats for me to put on a show at Kenilworth Road.
“Also, we got some other really good prospects in Luton coming up, so the show would be massive. I think it would be a spectacle and something I’m hoping can happen in the very near future.”
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But Prosper (14 (7)-1-1) is first focused on beating Martin in his own backyard, though he knows he’s a huge underdog against a champion, ranked number 7 in the world, who’s had more victories (37) than he’s had matches.
Yet, after sparring with Josh Taylor, Luke Campbell, Ted Cheeseman and Ricky Burns, the EBU number 11 ranked challenger believes his time has come.
“I feel that I’m above the level that I’ve been boxing at,” said Prosper, adding: “Coming over to the IQ team from where I was before, I’ve just added to my game and I’m a lot more of a rounded fighter and I feel I can do more than Sandor, so on Friday night I’m just going to expose him.”
In the official fight press conference, Prosper added: “I respect Sandor as a fighter because he’s obviously got to the level that he’s at, but he’s a very negative, defensive fighter.
“He’s almost a bit boring, so I might have to chase him around the ring, but that’s something that we’ve worked on.
“If he wants to come and make it a fight then it will be exciting for the fans. I hope he comes to bring a fight. Other than that, I think I’ll get to him and make a statement.”
Prosper, who came to boxing late, defended his English title last year in Dunstable against Bilal Rehman, but tonight’s fight, his first televised appearance, is the headline bout on Matchroom Boxing’s bill broadcast live on streaming platform DAZN.
The Goodwin Boxing puncher said: “I’ve wanted to be on the stage, boxing all over the world on different platforms. I didn’t just want to be a local fighter. I want to go above and beyond that, so this opportunity is not something that I’m really being phased by.
“Having to come to his (Martin’s) back garden, in Barcelona, and fight him as champion, we all know there’s been some bad judges decisions. Kiko Martinez is a Spanish fighter that’s come over to England and he didn’t get that decision (against Zelfa Barrett at Wembley Arena in February). I think he should’ve won that fight.
“So I’m hoping that I don’t come here and they return the favour. At the end of the day it’s down to me to prove that I’m the better fighter and just keep pushing forward.”
