By Dean Parr

Tomorrow night, Preston Cruiserweight Paul Morris, 1-1-2 (1 early), will be the main attraction in his hometown, as he takes on the sturdy Mark Lewis, 1-9 (1 KO), at the Lava Ignite Club.  The Oliver’s Gym product is excited ahead of this showcase.

"I can't wait," he beamed.  "It's the first time since my debut I'm fighting someone at my own weight.  Obviously, I've had to step up my game in the last three fights with being against bigger guys, but I'm really looking forward to having the odds even for a change.  Now I can show the world evenly matched what I'm able to do.  It's also the first time I've fought in my hometown.  I'm definitely looking forward to that."

Opposing him will be the aforementioned Lewis, who while considered a journeyman is as tough as they come.  "I only know what friends have told me about him," conceded Morris. 

"None of my friends have actually boxed him, but I've heard he's a big, tough guy.  He doesn't come to win; he comes to ruin your game.  He's there to spoil you and he's a big, strong lad.  There's going to be a statement made, whether it being I stop him or just completely box his head off.  He won't want to fight me again put it that way."

Paul is insistent that preparations have gone well in the run up to this clash. He revealed, "I had a bad virus up to a couple of weeks ago, but I went on the antibiotics and I've recovered really well.  I've dropped a couple of sparring partners recently so I'm feeling strong, because that was without meaning to hurt them.  Everything's slipping into place at the moment; better than they've ever done.”

"I reckon this will be the best fight of my career so far; just for the simple fact of how even the fight's going to be weight wise," Morris asserted.  "I'm a quick learner and I'm a born fighter so I can adapt very fast in the ring.  We have a bit of a gameplan; to hit sharp and pulling the punches back into my guard quickly.  With him being lighter than all the other guys I've fought and wanting to come forward, I need to be sharp.

"I don't see it going the distance. He's boxed nine times, but he's never boxed Paul Morris.  I'm not one for shouting off, but he's never boxed me.  I don't think there's anyone at my weight that can take my shots full on.”

In his last outing, Paul took on Sunderland heavyweight prospect Danny Hughes, 7-1-1 (2 KOs), taking him to a 58-58 draw.

"I found it easy to be honest," stated Morris on the aforementioned contest.  "I actually thought I'd won it.  I'm not saying it was a bad decision; a draw is better than a loss, but I thought I'd done enough to beat him.  The referee thought I'd done enough to get a draw on an away show where no one was cheering for me and everyone had paid to see Danny Hughes says something."

Indeed, Morris appreciates the importance of being the 'home' fighter can have on the outcome of a contest, and would jump at any offers from big promoters.

"I definitely would sign," he stated. "I've been struggling to get good fights, and guys in boxing know I've been taking fights against guys five stones heavier.  If I got an offer from a Hatton, Warren or Maloney, it would give me the opportunity to fight at my own weight and on our own shows.  I think they should give me a chance.  No one's seen the best of Paul Morris yet.

"I think I could go all the way," flowed Paul.  "Oliver Harrison, Johnny Roye and myself think I can go all the way; that I'm world class.  It's just I've not been able to prove that.  Coming from a small city like Preston, we've not been able to have a show yet.  It's going to be the first time, and it's going to be mixed with Thai boxing.  We've been struggling to get our own shows.

"It's not that we can't sell the tickets, it's just with it being such a small place no one wants to put on a show here. No one's even seen a quarter of the Paul Morris people see in the gym though, and I don't leave stuff in the gym.  I've boxed two of the 'Top Ten' heavyweights in the country; two prospects, got a bad decision against David Ferguson, but actually got a draw against Danny Hughes, and I'd class Danny as the better boxer."

Recently, Morris had to endure a huge disappointment at the recent Cruiserweight edition of Prizefighter, which he readily admits was a blow. 

"I was heartbroken," he stated, before explaining, "In the couple of months I was asked to be a reserve, I was led to believe that I was the first reserve.  On the list of ten people, there were eight boxers from one to eight, I was number nine and then there was number ten, which was Nick Okoth.

"Nick's a nice lad, and I won't take away from what he did, but even on the day before, when Darren Corbett didn't make weight and they gave him an hour, I was told it would definitely be me taking his position.  Then on the night of the fights, when Herbie Hide unfortunately got that bad cut, even he came to my changing rooms and said I was on next.

"Barry Hearn decided to flip a coin, though.  No one had said anything to me about the flip of a coin, but he said that was the rules.  I said, 'I've read the rules and there was nothing about the flip of a coin,' and obviously he'd done it for TV.

"It was his show and I can't stop him from doing it, but Nick Okoth walked through the ropes and fought a very good boxer in Darren Corbett.  He won the first fight easily. I don't rate Okoth, but he walked with £16,000 into the final and got beat by Jon Lewis Dickenson who I think I could beat.  He was the best fighter of the night, but I do think I've got every bit of ability to beat him, and it broke my heart that I didn't get that opportunity."

Matchroom have tried to assure Paul he'll be paid back for this experience though.  "They've said I've got a start in the next Prizefighter at my weight," said Morris.  "Let's hope they stick to their word.  They didn't with keeping me as a reserve, but I really do hope I get on, because I definitely think I'd win it.  I'm not being an idiot, and I don't want people to think I'm being delusional, but I even think that night I'd have beaten Herbie Hide.

"He seemed to be gassing.  He beat Wayne Brooks, who's not the best in the country, but he was gassing.  After his first couple of knockdowns, he couldn't finish him off.  I think I'd finish Wayne Brooks off.

"People avoid me.  We asked Herbie Hide's trainer, because they wanted to pay me to go and spar Herbie Hide, but we said we'd rather not spar you, we'd rather box you.  Even Herbie Hide's trainer said I'm too eager, and they'd rather not box me because I want to win too much.  You can read what you want into that, but for me it means that they know I'm coming to win and I'm not coming to survive.

"I asked another one as well; John Anthony.  On the night of Prizefighter, we asked his manager if he'd fight me, and I even said I'd fight him on his own show.  They said there's no way they'd do it, so they know what's going to happen."

Paul continued with his list of potential victims, now talking of a local prospect.  "There's some good up and coming guys I'd like to box like Liam Cullen who boxed this Mark Lewis, but I think he's too much of a pretty boy to box me," argued Paul.

"He needs to learn.  He sings and dances all over the internet, but he needs to learn boxing's a dangerous game.  You can't go round singing and dancing going on about being a model when you're a fighter.  You've got to prove yourself to be the best; not say you're the best.  You can't say you're the best when you've just boxed a couple of journeymen.  I can say I think I'm the best, because I've boxed two top ten Heavyweights.  I want some of these guys to take me on.

"I counter punch and I come forward, so I just don't think Liam could handle me.  I bet they won't box me.  They're not going to let him fight me; I know they won't.  They know what will happen.

"Call me stupid for looking at all these big guys, and I know I'm not at that level yet, but I've got the ability and I'd love to box any of the top names.  Imagine having that on your bedpost.  Enzo Maccarinelli, Herbie Hide; these guys are just world famous and it would be awesome to box them.  To do what I think I could do to anybody, it would just be an awesome opportunity in a couple of years maybe."

In the immediate future, though, Morris is more concerned with making a good impression tomorrow night.  "There's going to be a statement made, whether it being I stop him or just completely box his head off.  He won't want to fight me again put it that way.”

He added: "I'd fight every week if I could.  I stay fit, people know I come to fight and I fight the biggest and the best.  I never come to roll over and I'm fit all the time.  I'm not one of these that has time off after a fight; as soon as I've fought I'm in the gym.  I'll have a day off and I'm in the gym again.

"I hope a promoter reads this.  I'm eager and they can see on my Boxrec page that I've boxed guys nearly five stones heavier than me and what I'm doing to them.  Hopefully I'll get that opportunity, but boxers seem to be avoiding me at the moment.  I can't get decent fights at my weight."