Solomon Dacres still has a major part to play in the future of a flourishing British heavyweight division but the unbeaten English champion made heavy work of Saturday night’s title defense against Michael Webster.
Just a couple of weeks after signing a long term deal with Queensberry Promotions, an opportunity arose for Dacres to make a hastily arranged title defense against the previously unbeaten Webster on Saturday’s Magnificent Seven card in Manchester.
Dacres (8-0, 2 KO’s) never really got going. The fight became a messy, nip and tuck affair and when Dacres had a point deducted in the final round, the result seemed to have been thrown into doubt. After ten rounds, the judges preferred Dacres’ slightly cleaner work and he held on to his titles via a majority decision.
It wasn’t the eye catching, explosive display the unbeaten 30-year-old would have liked to have put on but Dacres can still look back on 2023 as a successful year. He remains undefeated, he is the reigning English champion and he has the backing of a major promotional company. Though clearly disappointed with his performance, a philosophical Dacres was able to focus on the good points of Saturday night.
“I know he’s sharp. It was a short notice fight and they said if we don’t fight now, we’re not boxing till next year,” Dacres told Queensberry after the fight. “I thought, ‘I need to get out. I wanna stay busy.’ I wasn’t at my fittest that I could have been. I had to grind a win out but it’s a win under the belt. I don’t shy away from anything. I’ll get in there and hopefully just learn from the experience.
“Every fights not gonna go your way. fight of my pro career. I’ve boxed tough guys but I’ve pretty much been in first or second gear. That was a good experience for me, someday sharp who brought a bit more out of me.
“Back to the drawing board and get back out when the shows are on, hopefully early next year. I’ll be a lot sharper next time obviously with more notice.”
Dacres hasn’t been shy about inserting himself into the British heavyweight title picture. Champion, Fabio Wardley, recently defended his title against David Adeleye in impressive fashion but remains a promotional free agent. Wardley has made himself into something of a hot property and is certain to find himself at the center of a tug of war in the New Year. Frazer Clarke fights for Boxxer and seems the man most likely to get the next shot at Wardley but Dacres would jump at the chance if the opportunity arose.
“The mixture’s good there,” he said. “There are big fights for the British title, which I’ve still got no bones about fighting for next. I might have a few critics after that performance but when I’m at my best I’m very hard to beat.
“That’s still the goal.”