CARL Fail insists that claiming the Midlands Area strap, in the manner in which he did, almost gave him a taste of how it feels to win a world title.
His scintillating seventh-round finish, which arrived on the undercard of Ryan Garner vs Reece Bellotti last Saturday, saw the 28-year-old end a lengthy spell of inactivity and, more importantly, place himself back on an upwards trajectory.
Hoping to scupper his inspiring comeback story, meanwhile, was Amir Abubaker, a destructive super-welterweight operator who gave a titanic effort at the Bournemouth International Centre.
But it was Fail’s technical prowess, along with his sturdy chin, which ultimately saw him emerge from their mini barnburner with a stunning stoppage victory.
In doing so, the crafty southpaw not only secured his first title in the professional ranks, but has also taken himself one step closer towards a stab at the vacant Lonsdale Belt.
Yet despite the significance of his British title eliminator, Fail, 11-0 (4 KOs), who released an outpouring of emotion shortly after his win, now finds himself in no mood to look too far ahead.
“I’d been out for nearly two years, and it was a long, hard journey to get me back in the ring, so this [Midlands Area title] almost feels like a world title to me,” Fail told Boxing News.
“There were doubts that I’d even be able to fight again, so to get back in there and put on a performance like that… I’m just really proud of myself.
“I won’t go into too much detail, but I had injuries that stopped me from being able to spar, or being able to fight, so I took some time out to recover.
“I did all the rehab, some therapy, and spent a lot of money. I almost went to zero, but me and my brother [Ben Fail] have got a dream, we’re chasing it, and we refuse to give up. This is my first of many titles.”
Equally, Fail doubts that he would be in this position – sitting on the cusp of a British title shot – without the support of his head coach, Martin Bowers.
“Martin’s like an unsung hero,” the Northampton man said. “He’s taken me and my brother under his wing, and we basically stay in his house.
“We live in a barn from Monday to Friday, sleeping in a bunk bed. People will never understand the sacrifices we’ve made, and what it’s taken for us to get here.”
Together, Fail and Bowers devised a strategy which, despite a few prickly moments, proved comprehensive enough to dethrone his opponent in ruthless fashion.
“He [Abubaker] was strong, but me and my brother pride ourselves on having good chins,” Fail added.
“I didn’t get hurt once in the fight; I just stayed calm, composed, and stuck to my gameplan.”
Now, Fail has put himself in a strong position to fight for British honours, perhaps even against mandatory challenger Sam Gilley, but, whatever happens next, there is seemingly no danger of him shying away from a meaningful assignment.
“I’ll fight anybody,” he said. “If the British title is next, then it’s next. If not, I’ll just fight someone else.”
