3:40pm Friday 13th November 2009
By Gary York
DEZZI Higginson insists he’s been handed an ‘opportunity of a lifetime’ after signing up with superstar Ricky Hatton.
The 27-year-old Blackburn boxer has penned a 12-month contract with Hatton Promotions after impressing the legendary Mancunian in his last fight against Sheffield’s Adam Kelly.
Higginson, the former British Masters light-welterweight champ-ion, is one of many up-and-coming English boxers to join the Hatton stable with the promise of big-night bouts and possible TV exposure.
And for the former Pleckgate High School student, he believes his professional career can only go from strength to strength. “It’s fantastic that Ricky has given me this opportunity,” said Higginson, who is trained by his father Barry at the Fit2XL Gym in Lower Darwen.
“It’s an opportunity of a lifetime. I’ll be fighting on good undercards and possibly live on Sky Sports.
“Ricky wants fighters with a lot of potential and hopefully mine will come through in the next few years.
“I recently fought a very awkward customer in Adam Kelly. It was a 50/50 fight but I won on points and I think Ricky liked what he saw.”
Under the terms of the agreement, ‘Dezzi’, whose real name is Graeme, will land a minimum of three fights over the forthcoming 12 months.
Then, his contract will come under review, and the former English martial arts champion is confident he’ll be part of the Hatton camp for years to come.
“I’m in this for the long run,” he said. “I feel I’m getting better and better and now it’s my turn to repay the faith that Ricky has in me.”
Higginson was due to fight in Stoke tomorrow on the the undercard of Matthew Hatton’s IBO welterweight championship clash with Lovemore N’dou, but organisers could not find him an opponent in time.
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