Jordan Gill: I just like shocking people

Jordan Gill will look to make it two big away wins in a row when he takes on Manchester's former world title challenger Zelfa Barrett in a must-win super featherweight showdown at the AO Arena on Saturday 13 April, worldwide on DAZN.

Chatteris' Gill, a former European and Commonwealth featherweight champion, stunned Irish hero Michael Conlan with a seventh-round stoppage at the SSE Arena Belfast in December and immediately claimed the world title in his post-fight interview.

Many had written off 'The Thrill' ahead of his last-chance clash with Conlan, but the 29-year-old, trained by Barry Smith of Harlow's Ben Davison Performance Centre, produced the performance of his career. to catapult his name into the world title conversation in the 130-pound division.

"Going into the Conlan fight in December it was ridiculous because everyone was tipping him," Gill said. "I knew how good I was. I knew what I was capable of. I knew I had to shock people. I knew I had something to prove. I proved people wrong and it was more enjoyable for me to do that.

- I knew the fight was mine from the first round. I rocked him hard in the first round, dropped him in the second. From then on, you know you have to be patient. When you hurt someone once, when you know you're going to do it again. It's more about taking your time, pulling yourself together, letting them burn themselves out and then going to town. That was the plan; it worked like a treat."

Gill came face-to-face with former European super-featherweight champion Barrett yesterday at Manchester Hall as the pair kicked off Fight Week ahead of Saturday's stacked card featuring two world title fights between Ellie Scotney v Segolene Lefebvre and Rhiannon Dixon v Karen Elizabeth Carabjal.

"Brown Flash" has other world title aspirations of his own when he clashes with Shavkatzhon Rakhimov for the IBF title in Abu Dhabi in November 2022, but Gill insists his time is now and another big win this weekend will put him in front of the line for gold.

"I feel the best I've ever felt," said Gill. "I feel so strong. I feel rejuvenated. I'm not killing myself to lose weight. I'm happy. I feel prepared; well prepared. I'm looking forward to a fantastic fight. I think it's going to be mouth-watering; it's one that everyone's talking about. I'm absolutely thrilled .Now this is the chapter where we are going to take it all into account.

"He looks well prepared. He looks ready. He looks like he's got a piece between his teeth. He looks like he wants to hurt me. We've got to go in and do our job. I don't think there's any way that this the fight wouldn't be an exciting fight. I think I'll win this fight by knockout. This is what I've been working for; this is what I've dreamed of since I was a kid.

"I just like to annoy people and I think I get a kick out of people telling me I can't win fights. Everyone expected me to lose the Conlan fight and go in there and get it out there - for me it's exciting and that's what boxing is all about. It's about good fights and this is a really good fight i'm ready to go to the well.

"For me, all the pressure is on Zelfa. Everyone expects me to lose this fight. I will come to the lion's den again. Everyone makes me the underdog again. No problem, just put all that pressure on him and we'll show up, do what we need to do and come out victorious.

"To be the best, you have to beat the best. So to claim the world title, you have to go through these fights. Zelfa is a very good fighter, he wants to get to the world title and he's probably at the top of the line, so I have to beat him to jump him. That's why we're here. "

Gill vs Barrett wins a huge night of boxing in Manchester, Catford's Ellie Scotney (8-0) looks to unify the super bantamweights as she puts her IBF world title on the line against France's WBO world champion Segolene Lefebvre (18-0, 1 KO), Warrington's Rhiannon Dixon (9 -0, 1 KO) looks to win her first world title when she takes on Argentina's Karen Elizabeth Carabajal (21-1, 3 KOs) for the vacant WBO 140kg crown.

Manchester's Michael Gomez Jr (20-1, 5 KO) defends his English super featherweight title against Birmingham's Kane Baker (19-10-2, 1 KO). Liverpool welterweight prospect Ste Clarke (1-0, 1 KO) takes on Swindon's Jensen Irving (4-9) in four rounds, Oxford lightweight Jordan Flynn (9-0-1, 1 KO) fights Tanzania's Tampela Maharus (10-4-4) against. , 5 KOs) over eight rounds, Liverpool super flyweight Jack Turner (5-0, 5 KOs) goes for a knockout win over Abdul Kesi Ngaoma (7-5-1, 6 KOs), Brentwood welterweight Jimmy Sains (3-0, 3). KOs) will make his fourth pro fight against Mateusz Kalecki (2-1, 1 KO), Manchester super middleweight William Crolla (3-0, 2 KO) will take on Italy's Fabio Cascone (4-9, 1 KO) over six rounds and Swansea's super fight. Bantamweight Brandon Scott (6-0, 1 KO) returns for his first fight since last August when he takes on Rodrigo Matias Areco (5-5-2) over six rounds.