Conah Walker enters British title fight with under two months’ training

BRITISH title fights rarely fail to deliver fireworks. More often than not, this is because they will include two evenly matched combatants who, regardless of their ambitions beyond this level, remain fiercely determined to claim the coveted Lonsdale Belt.

Sure enough, there is no more than a whisker to separate British welterweight champion Harry Scarff, 13-3 (3 KOs), and tenacious contender Conah Walker, 14-3-1 (5 KOs), in this Saturday’s showdown.

The pair will collide on the undercard of Dalton Smith vs Walid Ouizza, looking to steal the Matchroom-promoted show in Nottingham, England.

Scarff, of course, dethroned long-reigning British titlist Ekow Essuman towards the end of 2023, producing a measured and calculated display to claim a comprehensive unanimous decision victory.

In doing so, the 31-year-old proved exactly why he acquired the nickname ‘Horrible Harry,’ adopting an awkward style while continually switching from orthodox to southpaw; always keeping the exchanges at long range.

But then, shortly after plotting his route towards a world title shot against IBF champion Jaron Ennis, the rangy technician fell short in his final eliminator against Karen Chukhadzhian.

His third professional defeat arrived last May, and since then, Scarff has remained out of the ring, forced to lick his wounds ahead of what promises to be an intriguing domestic dustup.

Walker, on the other hand, is coming off a gleaming spell of activity in 2024, culminating in a wide unanimous decision victory over Lewis Ritson.

It is important to highlight, though, that his standout win came towards the end of November, leaving him with just under two months to prepare for Scarff.

Of course, not all fighters are affected by such a swift turnaround but, given Walker’s greater reliance on work rate, it is a factor that could certainly represent a point of concern.

Not only that, but Scarff’s ability to tie his opponents in knots does not bode well for Walker who, while enjoying plenty of physical advantages, is perhaps guilty of being somewhat one-dimensional at times.

And so, while it is difficult to pick a winner, the lack of time that Walker has been given to recuperate from his last outing, as well as his more limited skillset, would suggest that Scarff could navigate himself towards a closely contested victory on points.

Share Page