Super-featherweight Ben ‘Duracell’ Jones is hoping to bring an army of fans to Glow, Bluewater on Saturday, November 8, when he boxes for another professional title.
The exciting 32-year-old is a former English and WBO European champion and is renowned in boxing circles for attracting plenty of vocal and passionate fans wherever he goes.
“I sell a lot of tickets because I get out there,” he said.
“I was brought up in Crawley and played a number of sports. I did a lot of social things. And sports people tend to like more than one sport, so a lot of the people I played football with, for example, also like their boxing.
“I also changed from one school to another school when I was growing up and that helped me make lots of different friends. So too did moving to Redhill. I was only there for three years but I made a hell of a lot of friends during that time. So I’ve now got a lot of people from Crawley and Redhill coming to watch me box.
“It’s all about making sure they have a good night. Even little things like after-parties are important. The people who come to boxing tend to like a good drink as well, so I’ll capitalise on that and do an after-party. You’ll then have them ringing you the next day to tell you what a great time they had. That usually means they’ll come back for more.”
Jones, 15-4-1 (6 KOs), sold nearly 500 tickets for his first professional fight in September 2006. And he expects to add to this growing fan-base in the very near future.
“Last year I was in the top 10 with the WBO and I’d like to get into the top 10 with another governing body next year,” he said.
“I’d also like to see what happens with the British and Commonwealth titles and position myself in line for a shot at them. I’ve been in the top four in Britain for the last three years, so why haven’t I had a shot at the belt? I’m hoping the time will come next year. I’ll be chasing that belt and the European belt in 2015.
“Now it’s all about doing it properly. If I’m going to keep fighting the best, it’s got to be a bit more on my terms. I’ve got to have notice and I’ve got to get a fair crack at the whip. Once that happens, you’ll see me go a long way in this sport.”
