IN October 2024, Troy Williamson tweeted: “50-50 fights is what I’m all about.” The ‘Trojan’ was ready to back himself and take any big middleweight fight that came his way.
It would be six months before an opportunity finally arrived – a trip Stateside to face New Yorker Jahi Tucker on a Top Rank promotion. His American debut didn’t go his way, but earlier this month Williamson’s professionalism, conditioning and discipline paid off as he overcame Mark Dickinson at super-middleweight on Matchroom’s September 6 show.
His thrilling ninth-round stoppage at Rainton Meadows Arena earned him the English super-middleweight title and put him in contention to become a two-time British champion. Having previously claimed the 154lbs Lonsdale belt four years ago, Williamson (21-4-1, 15 KOs) now has his eyes on the super-middleweight version currently held by Callum Simpson, who also boasts the Commonwealth and European straps.
“There’s been potential talks of him wanting to fight [me],” Williamson told Boxing News.
“His manager tweeted saying there’s a British, Commonwealth and European title shot there. Who knows, hopefully we can get that over the line. I think it’s another fan-friendly fight. A lot of people would tune in because they know it’s going to be entertaining. One that I would go in there extremely confident of [winning].”
Simpson’s manager, Kevin Maree, responded to one of Williamson’s tweets on September 13 with praise – “Always been a great fighter Troy” – before adding: “You v Callum Simpson for the English, British, Commonwealth, European.”
Last night, Williamson tweeted: “Hoping to have fight news in the next 7/10 days. The procedure will be parliamentary.” Could we see Simpson v Williamson added to the Eubank-Benn 2 undercard at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 15? Time will tell.
Williamson’s future could have looked very different had he not beaten Dickinson. He weighed in at 167 ½lbs, while Dickinson came in five pounds over the 168lbs limit and was stripped of the English title. Despite that, Williamson insisted the fight was never in doubt.
“The weight wasn’t an issue to be fair,” Williamson said. “The way I trained and the way I was performing in the gym, I knew I had to beat him. We did try and get him to weigh in the next morning, but there was no chance of it, so the fight went ahead.”
Beforehand, Dickinson vs Williamson stood out as the likely fight of the night on the eight-bout card. It lived up to the billing. The 10-rounder started fast, with both men trading like rock ‘em, sock ‘em robots. Williamson, 34, showed that his iron chin remains intact, but he also fired back in equal measure. In the penultimate round he dropped Dickinson and quickly pounced for the finish, forcing referee Reece Carter to step in.
“I knew the past 10-12 weeks exactly how it was going to unfold. The way I pictured it is how it went,” Williamson said.
“I wasn’t surprised that I stopped him, but I just knew that I was going to win 100%, no matter what. The way I was performing in the gym and the work that we did in the gym, the game plan we had, I knew I was going to win.”
“Mark will definitely come again, no doubt about that,” he added. “I think he’ll give a lot of people problems.
“I think people aren’t really giving me the credit. I know he’s only had 10 fights, but I’ve just beat a very good kid there.”
Since August 2020 Williamson has faced Harry Scarff, Kieran Smith, Ted Cheeseman, Mason Cartwright, Josh Kelly, Caoimhin Agyarko, Ishmael Davis, Jahi Tucker and now Mark Dickinson. It’s an impressive run of opposition, with Williamson edging the ledger 5-4. So, what’s his secret to longevity and the will to keep going?
“Just self-discipline. I live the life. I obviously don’t smoke, but I don’t go out drinking and partying. [I] just enjoy a little bit of chocolate now and then. But I’m always in the gym, ticking over. So yeah, it’s basically just being a true professional. Just live the life really.”
Known as an all-action fighter, Williamson has rarely been in a dull contest. But with so many gruelling battles behind him, does he fear the toll catching up?
“Obviously, they are tough fights – people are saying they put miles on the clock. My career is relit and I’m feeling like I’m starting over again. I think people are going to see the best of me at 168. There’s plenty more to come. I’ve only been with my coach (Jordan Williams) for the past eight or nine weeks, so this is my first time with him. I’m only going to get better and better as the fights go on.”
