Australian junior light-weight Nathaniel ‘Cheeky’ Could is having fun with life proper now.
The robust and proficient 28-year-old from Bunbury in Western Australia has not too long ago signed a three-fight cope with No Restrict Boxing, who additionally promote The Ring’s quantity two junior middleweight contender and former WBO titleholder Tim Tszyu.
Could (23-4, 14 KOs) has been rewarded with a headline bout towards Argentina’s Jose Matias Romero (28-3, 9 KOs) over 10 rounds on the Roundhouse on the College of New South Wales in Kensington in Sydney’s japanese suburbs on July 3. The vacant IBF intercontinental title shall be on the road, giving the winner a world rating with the New Jersey-based sanctioning physique.
Romero, 28, has combined in good firm. He went the gap with reigning WBA tremendous light-weight titleholder Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz in March 2021, giving the hard-nosed Mexican a troublesome, shut combat earlier than finally shedding on factors. In October 2022 he was stopped in 9 heats by Cuban southpaw and ex-WBO featherweight titleholder Robeisy Ramirez, stubbornly sticking round till the penultimate spherical after being knocked down within the opening stanza.
“He’s a clumsy fighter,” Could stated to The Ring about Romero. “He strikes very nicely, he’s obtained a very good jab on him and he’s obtained good fundamentals. Our plan is to chop a number of extra angles on him than we’ve my previous few fights. That’s mainly the sport plan, to chop extra angles, bang him to the physique and hopefully he slows down for us.”
Could has been happy together with his preparation for this bout with sparring companions together with a former world title challenger and considered one of Australia’s most proficient prospects.
“Camp has been actually nice, really,” Could stated. “I’ve been sparring Liam Wilson and Billy Polkinghorn. They’ve been fairly good rounds, however coaching is at all times good. It’s simply going to be the way it goes on the night time, actually.
“However we’re actually targeted to win. A victory will put me again within the rankings and hopefully I’ll get a crack at a world title subsequent 12 months or one thing.”
Romero is a sturdy kind has been stopped simply as soon as in his 4 skilled losses. Not straightforward to hit clear, he has a method that may simply frustrate opponents into making errors.
The relentlessly aggressive Cruz needed to work laborious to drag out the 114-113, 115-112 and 118-109 unanimous determination win after being docked some extent within the sixth spherical for low blows. Ramirez had higher success together with his extra nuanced fashion and left-handed stance, one thing that the athletically gifted Could plans to emulate.
“We’re largely going off the Ramirez combat, to be sincere,” Could stated of his recreation plan entering into to the combat. “He was in a position to land from completely different angles and he was in a position to put him out by doing it. Mainly we’re going to strive to do this, simply from the orthodox stance. Minimize the angles like we’ve been engaged on and hopefully break him down a bit extra and take the photographs after they’re there to taken.
“He’s a troublesome fighter although with a tough head. We’re not going for a knockout. We’re going to attempt to outbox him and outwork him and if the knockout comes, the knockout comes.”
If Could has a flaw, it’s his refusal to reject a combat. In July 2019 he travelled to Liverpool, England to face the extra skilled James ‘Jazza’ Dickens at featherweight. He was dropped twice and got here up on the unsuitable finish of the scorecards after 10 rounds. 5 months later he dropped one other 10-rounder to Bruno Tarimo again dwelling in Sydney.
The back-to-back losses got here the 12 months after the early dying of his longtime coach Peter Stokes in February 2018. Stokes married his longtime sweetheart Jodie Cross on his deathbed at some point earlier than passing away from a uncommon type of blood most cancers on the age of simply 45.
The lack of his coach hit Could laborious. Stokes was like a second father to him. He skilled Could since he was 12 years outdated.
“It was very laborious,” Could revealed. “I imagine that’s why I did step away from it for a bit. I had misplaced the eagerness for it. However now I’ve obtained the eagerness again, we’ve got down to win a world title, so I’m going to try to do what I can do in my profession now.”
When he did determine to make one other run at a world title, Could teamed up with coach Gareth Williams at The Boxing Store in Brisbane, Queensland. And for good cause.
“Me and Gareth get alongside fairly nicely. Stokesy and Gareth, they had been fairly shut within the newbie and professional scene, so it made the selection to go together with Gareth so much simpler,” stated Could.
“It’s obtained to be top-of-the-line issues I’ve accomplished to date. I used to be over on the Wild Card Health club in Las Angeles for awhile. That was a selection I couldn’t actually say no to. It was good experience-wise, nevertheless it wasn’t for me, to be sincere.”
After the brace of losses in 2019, Could didn’t field once more till Could 2022 when he gained a six spherical bout towards Indonesian journeyman Rivo Rengkung by second spherical knockout in Nathan, Queensland.
After that, he took a combat towards latest Jamel Herring conqueror Jackson Jon England on the Gold Coast in October 2023 after nearly 18 months on the sidelines.
The combat was shut. Could misplaced the 10-rounder through break up determination by scores of 97-93, 96-94 and 94-96.
Because it seems, exercise issues.
That’s why the No Restrict deal is so essential to Could. Along with his crowd-pleasing fashion and No Restrict having dates to fill, the wedding between this boxer and promoter is a pure.
“No Restrict are nice in the meanwhile,” Could stated of the home promotional powerhouse. “I used to be stunned they supplied me a contract. It was a blessing. I’m wanting ahead to working with them.
“I’ve obtained one other three fights with them. Earlier in my profession I didn’t actually have additionally this, so it’s good to have it now, that’s for certain.
“I’m simply taking issues one combat at a time in the meanwhile. In the end, I do need to win a world title or no less than get a crack at one. However I’m simply targeted on this combat in the meanwhile and as soon as we get previous that, we’ll search for one other large combat.”
A contented fighter is a harmful fighter.
“Yeah, undoubtedly,” Could stated. “I feel that’s the perfect factor for it in the meanwhile. I’m comfortable, I’m coaching laborious, 24/7 now. We have now a few large years forward of us.”
