Ted Cheeseman earns praise from ring legend Carl Froch after halting James Metcalf in Gibraltar to regain British title

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Ted Cheeseman has revealed that his performance in regaining the British super-welterweight title got the seal of approval from ring legend Carl ‘The Cobra’ Froch.

The 25-year-old South Londoner stopped James Metcalf in the 11th round at Gibraltar’s Europa Points Sports Complex on Saturday as he won back the domestic belt, which was relinquished by Scott Fitzgerald.

And Cheeseman also managed to impress an American audience with the Matchroom Boxing bill shown on sports streaming service DAZN.

The Bermondsey puncher’s trainer Tony Sims had a text message from Froch, who is a regular pundit on Sky Sports.

Cheeseman explained: “It said well done and that he thinks I’m cut from the same cloth as ‘The Cobra’. So those comments were all good.

“Matthew Hatton [who trains Campbell Hatton] came up and congratulated me. He said he liked the way that I fight and that I am a proper fighter.

“Normally social media after a fight has been 95 per cent negative and only five per cent positive, but this time it is the opposite way around. And I had messages from American fans because it was shown out there too.”

Olympian Anthony Fowler, whose only loss in the paid ranks is also to Fitzgerald, tweeted that he wanted to face Cheeseman next.

“I just want to be patient and let my management team and Tony sort it out,” said the former Fisher amateur, who also holds the IBF International belt. “I want everyone to realise I’m the daddy of the division. You’ve got Liam Smith on the world scene but I’m the daddy domestically.

“There are plenty of opportunities out there. I’ll wait until April to see where I am in the IBF rankings, but hopefully I’m as high as the top five.

“It’s hard to think too much about what is next after a hard fight – my hands are bruised and my body is a bit achy. I need a couple of weeks of rest and to spend some valuable time with my family, just enjoy a normal life for a little bit.”

Cheeseman improved his record to 17-2-1 and felt his performance at the weekend was his best as a professional.

“I used everything I learned from all my other fights,” he said. “I boxed and then came forward and bullied the bully. I used my experience to have a breather and then put my foot back on the gas in the championship rounds.

“I hurt him badly in the fourth round and tried to finish it. Once I realised he wasn’t going that round I eased off. I knew he was going to have to try and do something as I had a big start to the fight.

“He had never been in deep waters and by the latter rounds I knew he would not have a lot left.”

Pictures by Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing