James ‘Jazza’ Dickens has set his sights on a trilogy with Leigh Wood after claiming victory over South African boxer Lerato Dlamini.
After 12 hard fought rounds with Dlamini at the Olympia, it went to the judges scorecards which resulted in the Liverpudlian getting his hand raised to win the vacant IBO world featherweight belt.
Having beaten Wood twice already in both amateur and professional bouts Dickens is determined to meet the Nottinghamshire boxer again to unify his newly won IBO belt with Wood’s WBA regular title. And Jazza was quick to call Wood out following his win over Dlamini.
“He’s supposedly taking these big fights, but he’s not, he’s conning the public,” said Dickens, who believes Wood lacks mental strength and has dodged him before.
“I knew he didn’t want to fight me in 2020 but he had to because it was a tournament,” added Dickens. “In terms of mentality, I knew I had him then and I’ve still got him now.”
Dickens may feel like he still has something to prove against Wood having beaten him on a close points decision over 10 rounds two years ago. The judges’ cards read 95-95, 94-95, 94-96 in Dickens’ favour which suggests the Scouser wants to finish the next fight in a more decisive fashion.
Wood, 34, hasn’t competed since his TKO victory over Michael Conlan back in March. “Put up or shut up” were the words of warning from ‘Jazza’ over his inactivity this year.
Though the trash talk is seemingly heating up, Dickens showed his sportsmanship in praising Wood on his world title win before suggesting the boxer should come to Liverpool.
Said Dickens: “He won the world title, so give him his props. I was proud of him that night, he did really well, but he’s blagging it right now. If he wants to come here, to Liverpool, and try blag it, he won’t get away with it.
“We’ve got history, we’ve fought twice before and that seems to be the common-sense fight to make,” he said to Probellum.”
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— Montirex (@MontirexUK) October 17, 2022
