“Action” Jackson England will be looking to make the most of his opportunity when he steps into the ring against Arief “The Blade” Blader at Thunderdome 26 later this month.
The Mandurah-based boxer is determined to return to the winners’ list after accepting his first loss in his professional career in his fifth fight at Thunderdome 25 back in May, and won’t be holding back when he squares off against Blader with an international ranking on the line.
It’s a step-up in class for the West Australian product, but one England is taking in his stride.
An intense and thorough training load will be the young gun’s support when he heads into the bout, with a win set to open more doors for as he continues to aspire to be fight at the world’s elite level.
Interstate fight offers have flooded in since England opened his career a perfect 4-0, and a win over Blader would see his rise continue.
Heading into a fight on the back of a loss is a foreign feeling for the up and coming star, but the results of past fights fly out the window in the lead up to a fresh bout, with England insisting he won’t be dwelling on any previous clashes.
“My last fight really opened my eyes, and I’m going to take that experience into this one and make sure I’m better for it,” he said.
“If anything its made me more desperate and more determined to keep chasing my goal.
“We’ve been training as hard as ever and to get back in the win column is the aim right now.”
Standing in England’s way is Blader, a 53-fight veteran ranked fourth in Indonesia.
His record of 23 wins, 28 losses and two draws somewhat highlights his risk-taking style, with the super featherweight prone to absorbing damage before throwing sporadic yet powerful punches.
Exploiting those areas will be England’s first port of call as his journeys towards a victory.
“We know he’s got a good chin and likes to take a lot of punches in before he gets going – I don’t think he’ll be able to do that against me,” England said.
“I like to fight with a lot of power, so it’s going to be interesting to see how we react to each other on the night.
“I’ll look to calculate what he’s doing and make the adjustments I need to make, that’s how we always go about it.”
Thunderdome 26 will be held at Metro City on Friday, July 27, with England’s bout against Blader the semi-main event.
For tickets to the fight, visit ticketmart.com.au/event/viewChildEvent/197