Wrecking machine Sam Noakes has targeted knocking out his first 10 opponents
Talented Sam Noakes (5-0, 5 KOs) is halfway there and the Lightweight is desperate to continue that impressive run at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday July 10, live on BT Sport.
The Maidstone banger who took just 110 seconds to finish off unbeaten Delmar Thomas in February said: “I don’t get in the ring thinking, ‘I am going to stop this guy,’ but at the back of my mind that is obviously what I want to do.
“I am hoping to get to ten fights with ten knockout wins. There is a still a long road ahead to reach ten out of ten, but I am confident I will do it.
“That is my first aim, and after that I won’t be bothered so much about going the distance.”
Noakes, 23, was a serious puncher as an amateur. He had 53 bouts, winning 47 with 26 of the victories coming via stoppage. He won the Senior ABA championships, Tri-Nations gold, two NABC titles and Gold in the Haringey Box Cup.
He added: “I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I am not surprised all my wins have come inside the distance because I could punch as an amateur.
“I always felt with smaller gloves I would do more damage. The more rounds there are in a fight the more confident I will be of getting the stoppage.”
Trainer Alan Smith isn’t hurrying to push Noakes towards major titles yet, but on the running track the youngster is racing ahead of the rest.
“If the boxing doesn’t work out I think I will become a runner,” joked Noakes who is in training to run the Brighton Marathon in September and is aiming to finish under 2 hours 50 minutes.
“I don’t like to say this, but ask Dennis McCann and all the boys. They’re not catching me. They might in the ring, but not on the track.
“I have done a sprint triathlon and I’m getting ready for my first Marathon and want to get a qualifying time for Major marathons like London.
“When I finish with boxing I will do an Ironman, but that will be too much while I am boxing especially getting ready for the 112 mile bike ride.
“If I wasn’t boxing I would still be into fitness. I have been active since I was a young age, but I am addicted to fitness.
“If I sit about I feel guilty and lazy. I am always in the gym and the morning after every fight I go for a run along the coast at sunrise.”
The 9st 9lb division is stacked with prospects that also includes Queensberry stablemate Mark Chamberlain, another fierce puncher.
Noakes who turned professional in September 2019 says: “I put my trust in my trainers completely and I don’t have a choice in how quick I should be pushed.
“There are some really good fighters in my division and I don’t feel I would come unstuck, but many of them have years of experience, going the distance and doing the hard rounds.
“That is a big factor. It’s okay me thinking I have been knocking out blokes in three and four rounds, but when you get ten rounds deep and the fella is still coming it’s going to be a different story.
“I’d love to win the British title and although I am not thinking past it my goal is being a world champion.”
Arthur vs Faraci
Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight champion Lyndon Arthur (18-0, 12 KOs) headlines the July 10th bill at the Royal Albert Hall. He makes the first defence of his WBO Inter-Continental title against Italian Davide Faraci (15-0, 7 KOs).
The Mancunian’s bitter rival Anthony Yarde 20-2, 19 KOs) who lost a split decision against Arthur faces unbeaten German Emin Atra (17-0, 12 KOs) in a non-title ten rounder.
Also on the bill WBO ranked number one Super-Middleweight Zach Parker (20-0, 14 KO’s) will defend his WBO International belt against Uzbek Sherzod Khusanov (22-2-1, 10 KOs).
WBO ranked number four Super-Featherweight, Archie Sharp (19-0, 9 KOs) meets Nicaragua’s Marcio Soza (21-6-2, 12 KOs) with the vacant WBO Global championship on the line.
Prodigious bantamweight talent Dennis McCann (9-0, 5 KOs) faces Tanzanian John Chuwa (20-4, 10 KOs).
Elsewhere on the card, 2016 Olympian Muhammad Ali (2-0) will have his third professional assignment against Lee Glover (11-4, 3 KOs), with Lightweight KO-artist Sam Noakes (5-0, 5 KOs) and Light-Heavyweight former Olympic Youth champion Karol Itauma (2-0, 1 KO) also featuring.
HÖRFA are proud sponsors of British Boxing News