Improved Luke Wilton targeting titles following comeback win
Luke Wilton [18(7)-5(1)-1] is back and believes he is offering more ahead of a final assault on titles.
The 30-year-old has long been described as ‘gutsy’ but the little man is keen to make an impact on the domestic scene with his skills.
Wilton believes he is making major later-career improvements under coach Bernardo Checa and is targeting titles with his skill rather than his will.
Following over a year-and-a-half out, Wilton returned to the ring on Saturday, headlining the aptly-named ‘Back in Belfast’ card at the Shorts Sports and Social Club where he outpointed dangerous Bulgarian bantamweight Georgi Georgiev over six rounds.
‘Winky’ hurt his foe in the first and downed him with an accumulation of body shots in the second but would reveal afterwards that he then tried to take a more patient approach.
Wilton admitted to Irish-Boxing.com that “I probably threw two much in the first two rounds but that was from being inactive – I was over eager.”
“I decided to just dictate it and, if the shot comes, it comes. I was happy to get six rounds in, six rounds there are better than two rounds.”
“He was a decent opponent, he had three wins in a row against bigger boys. I felt, in bits and pieces, that he was heavier but I felt that I was the boss, that I was the one in control, that I was the stronger guy.”
“I won the rest of the fight on my jab, that’s the best my jab’s been in a long, long time. I’ve been practicing on my jab in the gym, over and over, and it showed.”
Wilton credited his performance to his revived partnership with Panamanian Checa and is keen to get back into the gym with the Central American coach soon as he targets titles in 2019.
The Eastside fighter explained how “Bernardo was in Spain living with Luca Giacon. I’ve been with the man the past seven or eight years, on and off, and I think I’ve come on leaps and bounds recently.”
“We’ve been in the gym since August, just gradually building it up. My boxing ability and my jab are better than ever.”
“I’ll be back in the gym come December and hopefully I’ll be out in February or March. I want to be active again.”
Fighting at weights where one can progress quickly, Wilton is reluctant to get too ahead of himself but states that he has his eye on the British and Commonwealth 115lbs titles, both of which are vacant.
The Ulsterman noted that “it will be super fly, I don’t think I’ll ever, comfortably, make flyweight whereas I can easily do super fly. It depends on the opportunities, I suppose.”
“I’d rather take each fight as it comes but I will be going for those British and Commonwealth titles.”
