Sam Noakes seems to be determined to take the most direct route to the top rather than finding the path of least resistance.
Just two months after winning the British heavyweight title and maintaining a 100% knockout rate, Noakes faced Lewis Seale in a match with Yvan Mendy Lewis Sylvester competing to add the European belt to his growing collection.
Many quality fans were unwilling or unable to give Noakes the chance to defend his newly won Lonsdale belt, so – in a fit of confidence – his promoter Queensberry decided to allow him to enter the game for the vacant European title, which is closed to the French. soldier Mendy (48 wins, 6 draws, 1 loss, 22 KO).
In fairness, Noakes (13-0, 13 KOs) had a chance. He has been a risk taker and can do it in all aspects of his career, an attitude that has won him many fans. “It’s great to hear,” Noakes told BoxingScene. ——To be honest, I’m just trying to be myself. If you saw me in my first season, you would have noticed that I have not changed. I’m just trying to be a real person. Look, I’m very confident. Because I’m not going to sit there and call everyone names and I don’t believe in myself. I think there is room for that. I’m sure there’s a lot of politics involved in all of this. It’s not just “I’ll fight you.”
Famous boxers prefer to focus on their own preparation instead of worrying about their opponents. Naturally, they don’t spend much time worrying about a rookie champion, but Noakes reputation is starting to precede him. Noakes, 26, can punch, but he’s not as weak as some heavyweights. Instead of relying on his strength and letting possessions slide as he searches for the perfect shot, he sets a steady pace and creates his own lanes. Marathon runners nearly ran out of gas after running for less than three hours.
For Sam Noakes, It’s All Business Heading Into Saturday’s Bout With Yvan Mendy https://t.co/xSuJXIom9W
— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) April 19, 2024
There is no doubt that things will get tougher – starting with Mendy this week – and Noakes still has a lot to do. But if he manages to do another amazing job, this time against the French, his opponent will have no choice but to start carrying out his plans. –It’s possible. That probably went over your head, right? — Turns out, if I go in there with a guy who’s 22-0 with a lot of knockouts, I’m like, — no, I’m going to be in trouble here tonight. Of course you still train and work hard, but that’s what a normal person thinks.
– But look at it this way: Mendy is a genius and a professional. He’s up there with better fighters than me. I might think, “Oh, I’m worried about checking in here.” Even though he’s twice as strong as the guy I fought, I love this.
Noakes attended his first professional boxing show in 2018, when he traveled to Wembley Arena to watch Anthony Joshua fight Alexander Povetkin in their heavyweight rematch. After defeating Luke Campbell three years ago, Mendy lost to the Olympic gold medalist in the undercard.
It took another 12 months for Noakes to become an expert. But despite the huge experience gap, he doesn’t plan to change his current style of winning. If he beats Mendy, he will be England’s, Commonwealth and European champion and could be on the verge of some big nights.
“The closer you are, the more confident you are,” Noakes said. – When you take a few weeks off, you’ll have plenty of time to think about all the different scenarios. Anyway, I’m ready. – I’m doing everything I can to win this fight. For me, it’s the stress and the way I see it. Failure is not an option for me. Credit where credit is due. The old man is very old. If he scores 12 points, I will shake his hand at the end of the game.
