Coldwell believes Fowler is ready for title shot

Anthony Fowler faces a considerable step up in class this weekend as he takes on veteran Argentinean, Jose Carlos Paz.

Fowler’s progression through the professional ranks thus far has been routine, and he was hoping to be contesting a domestic or Commonwealth belt against former Team GB colleague, Scott Fitzgerald.

Instead, Fowler will be faced by a tough South American who has top-level experience, and trainer Dave Coldwell is expecting a decent test.

“I’ve wanted a test for him for quite a while now,” states Coldwell.

“He’s at that stage in his career where he’s past fighting guys just for the experience, and so he can test things out. He’s working hard in the gym every single day doing everything asked of him, and I want to see him in proper fights that will get him titles and prepare him for a higher level. There was a lot of work to do with him when he first came to me, and he’s making all the right adjustments to be a success in this sport. He’s nowhere near the finished article, but he’s definitely on track for where I want him to be.”

On the next 12 months for Fowler, Coldwell added, “The main priority is Paz this weekend in Sheffield, but it’s got to be meaningful fights for meaningful titles from next year. 154lbs is shaping up brilliantly domestically, and I fully believe that Fowler is right in the mix against any of them.

"You’ve probably seen the little exchanges between him and Ted Cheeseman on social media, and that’s a fight that will light up 2019. Fowler is desperate for titles, and I believe the time is right for him to start targeting the champions above him in the rankings.”