Young super featherweight goes 15 with Anthony Cocks
Super featherweight prospect Liam Wilson 6-0 (4) was looking forward to a breakout year when the global coronavirus pandemic hit.
The 24-year-old Queenslander was matched tough in his lone fight for 2020 when he met hardnosed Mexican Jesus Cuadro in an eight-round bout in February. Cuadro was coming off a 12-round majority decision loss to current IBF 130-pound champion Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz in September.
Wilson outboxed him for four rounds before starching him with a highlight reel left hook in the fifth.
Maxboxing went 15 rounds with the rising star to find out more about the dynamic puncher’s past and future.
Round 1: What attracted you to boxing in the first place?
Wilson: I’ve always felt I was a fighter at heart. I love competition and the intensity of anything, especially sport.
Round 2: Toughest fight in the amateurs or pros?
Wilson: My toughest fight was either against John Ume from PNG or Ikboljon Kholdrov out of Uzbekistan. John was just scrappy and much more physical than me. He was on me like a rash. That was at welterweight in the amateurs where I was fighting at in the later stages of my amateur career. Kholdrov was much, much better and the bigger puncher, but those two were my toughest.
Round 3: Biggest puncher you’ve faced?
Wilson: I would say Richard Hadlow from New Zealand or Kholdrov again. Both big punchers but with different power.
Round 4: What are the best and worst thing about being a boxer?
Wilson: I don’t really hate anything about boxing itself. It allows me to have a good lifestyle, an active lifestyle and most of all routine, which I think I definitely need. If there was anything I disliked about boxing it would be the weight cut, but even then I enjoy it. It’s a like I’m hitting a milestone for me making weight. It’s a part of the job.
Round 5: What is your most defining win of your career?
Wilson: My last fight against Jesus Cuadro. I won in good fashion. He hadn’t been stopped at that point before me. He had fought some very credible opponents. I also received a lot of recognition with that knockout.
Round 6: What are your goals for the next 12 months?
Wilson: I’m just staying sharp and active in this weird time waiting for boxing to resume and a fight date to be scheduled. Hopefully, I still get a few more fights in by the end of the year. The goal is to keep winning and get better.
Round 7: What are some your hobbies away from the ring?
Wilson: Spending time my family and friends. Outside of that, I don’t really get up to much else. I used to love pet fish, aquariums, etc. I’ve drifted away from that over the years since moving out of home but I’m sure it will be back soon when my partner allows it!
Round 8: Who is always ringside for you fights?
Wilson: My partner and daughter. But that may come to an end soon; it makes me nervous. I want to go away and get the job done and come home. It’s stressful when they are there! I’ve got a few very good mates that have followed me around the country wherever I fight to support me; Eddie Bland, Irish Hutchinson, Rohan Flynn, Kaine Cummings and Mark Colless.
Round 9: Who has been biggest influence on your career?
Wilson: My dad 100%. I can’t wait to win the world title for him. Along my career I have had added motivation with my daughter coming into the world and then some more in eight weeks’ time when my son is born. I’m fighting for my friends and family. It’s going to be a hard corner to beat when I have them with me all the way.
Round 10: What fight have you learnt the most from?
Wilson: In the amateurs I fought a bloke by the name of Abylaikhan Zhussupov of Kazakhstan. He was junior and youth world champion at the time. I think I had about 70 amateur fights at that stage. After the fight and watching it over he really made me reassess my boxing skills and work on my flaws. He made me look silly and feel like a beginner. I learnt heaps from that single fight, something I really needed at that stage of my career as I was about to move into the elite ranks.
Round 11: What is something our readers would be surprised to learn about you?
Wilson: I’m not too sure?
Round 12: Do you have any superstitions or rituals you follow in the lead-up to fight night?
Wilson: I like to be by myself and really think about the task at hand and why I’m doing this. Like most fighters it’s time to get in the zone, so for me it’s just reminding myself why I’m doing it. Why I trained so hard for it how badly do I want it. By the time I’m in the ring I don’t have any doubts about winning.
Round 13: What is your favourite post-fight feed?
Wilson: Can’t go past a good chicken carbonara, Snickers bar and oats honey and bananas. That’s the Liam Wilson special.
Round 14: Why would we find you when you’re away from the gym?
Wilson: At home with my family or at a friend’s place. I don’t go too far from home.
Round 15: If you weren’t boxing, what would you be doing?
Wilson: I don’t even want to know that answer to that myself. I don’t have a clue, but I don’t think it would be too good. I’ve got a knack for fighting so we will stick to that.