Make no mistake, while Josh Baddeley knew he was being presented as a perceived fall man for unbeaten Portsmouth player Mark Chamberlain, the little-known 28-year-old, an electrician by trade, did not attend the Wembley edition opener where Cannon fodder.
Sparking an upset win, while Turki Al-Sheikh, dubbed Chamberlain's “biggest fan”, looked on, along with a few increasingly bewildered gamblers, the Pocket Rocket was busy punching upwards, quite literally.
Not only was he fighting for future titles and a dose of respect, but this career-best success catapulted Baddeley to the highest levels. Boxing news The UK lightweight rankings are from ninth to third.
Now sitting behind Maxie Hughes and Sam Noakes, although the bout has officially been fought at 140, the next step for either man could see an official inclusion at super-lightweight, such as complicating non-royalty affairs regarding long-term plans.
Regardless, Baddeley's plea to “get in touch” with any interested promoters is now certain to be answered by a well-deserved payday for the big show.
Baddeley was not liked by many before his debut in the Riyadh season, where he comfortably lifted weight and used precise tactics over the course of 10 rounds to distract, confuse and confuse Chamberlain for long periods of the contest. The Armthorpe man even joked beforehand that he boxed in smaller venues than those hosting the pre-fight press conference.
After putting Chamberlain to the canvas in the eighth round and taking advantage of a points deduction bonus in the ninth, Josh picked up a unanimous decision win and now makes himself a credible player at 140, 135 or even 130.
