SCOTT LAWTON vs LEVA KIRAKOSYAN

Scott Lawton bids to become Britain’s version of the Cinderella Man when he meets Leva Kirakosyan for the vacant European 130-pound title in front of Lawton’s hometown fans at Stoke in the English midlands on Friday, with Sky Sports televising.

Lawton has fought for British and Commonwealth titles in the lightweight division, losing by stoppage to Jon Thaxton (due to cuts), John Murray and Amir Khan. He says that he doesn’t want to be known as one of British boxing’s “nearly men” as in “nearly won this, nearly won that”.

This fight is a huge opportunity for the likeable 33-year-old, a superfit sort who runs his own gymnasium. He has moved down from the lightweight division and says that he feels very strong at the lower weight, feeling that he has finally found his true weight division. (Lawton’s weight has been recorded as a junior welter for several fights, but my understanding is that on the smaller shows in Britain a same-day weigh-in is acceptable, meaning that fighters box nearer to their walking-around weight than if a day-before weigh-in is involved.)

In his first fight at junior lightweight, Lawton impressively stopped the once-promising Derry Matthews in the sixth round, and I understand he was punching hard with the right hand in that contest. He had a very good win in December 2008 when he halted Martin Gethin — unbeaten at the time — in the ninth round. Gethin suffered a cut from contact with Lawton’s elbow, but Lawton was dominating the bout.

Lawton is very tall for a 130-pounder at just under 5ft 11ins, and he can be highly effective when he is able to stand back and use his height and reach, jabbing, following with the right hand and hooking to the body every so often. The fight with Matthews does suggest that Lawton is banging harder at the lower weight. However, Matthews had been stopped in his last two fights and his punch-resistance might have been diminished.

On Friday, Lawton will be sticking to moving and boxing and hoping to make this a matador versus bull type of fight. The much shorter Kirakosyan is a squat slugger who likes to have an opponent right in front of him, as he did when twice knocking out Carl Johanneson. Kirakosyan is bothered by speed and movement, as we saw when Sergey Gulyakevich gave him a boxing lesson.

I must admit I overrated Kirakosyan based on the Johanneson fights. I thought he would be able to cut off the ring and land heavy punches against Gulyakevich, but he seemed confused and almost clueless. The much taller Gulyakevich was able to hit him easily while making Kirakosyan miss. It was a one-sided fight although one judge had it close.

If Lawton follows the Gulyakevich blueprint, he can win. He has to move around Kirakosyan, keep him on the end of the jab and pop him with right hands. As long as Lawton doesn’t get caught with a big hook or right hand, he can keep winning the rounds.

The problem with Lawton is that has not always shown durability. He boxed very well against the stronger Jon Thaxton and might have been winning, but he suffered cuts in two places and began to get caught in the seventh round, when the referee intervened despite Lawton’s protestations that he could continue.

Amir Khan was just too fast and talented for Lawton, who did land a good right hand in the opening round but was otherwise dazzled to defeat.

John Murray was too strong for Lawton and kept relentless pressure on him. Murray is one of those punching-machine types, though, and Lawton wasn’t given the room to move and box. Kirakosyan is a slower type of fighter, and he can find himself losing rounds while trying to line up an opponent for damaging hits. Also, Kirakosyan has never stopped an opponent after the sixth round. The early rounds in theory are the most dangerous ones for Lawton.

Since losing to Gulyakevich, Kirakosyan has won five bouts against low-calibre opponents. The Armenian fighter is 36 and despite his impressive KO record I think it is not unreasonable to suggest that he was exposed by Gulyakevich.

So, will Lawton “do a Gulyakevich”, as it were, and outbox the stronger but slower and less skilled boxer?

I think Lawton can definitely pile up points. Doing it for the whole 12 rounds will be the tricky part. Gulyakevich fought an incredibly high-energy fight — the fight of his life, really — when he outclassed Kirakosyan. I’m not sure that Lawton can keep doing this, round after round. I don’t think he is quite as fast or as busy, nor as reliable in the chin department, as Gulyakevich. I think that Kirakosyan will keep advancing with gloves up, putting mental as well as physical pressure on Lawton, and at some point I visualise him having an opportunity to land some telling blows.

Lawton will have the crowd right behind him, he is said to be full of confidence, and it would be a wonderful feel-good story for British boxing if he were to win an important title at the fourth attempt. I am afraid I can see Lawton getting caught, hurt and stopped, however. I’m going with Kirakosyan to come from behind and overpower the local favourite, perhaps in the ninth or 10th round.