'I'll retire if I lose my next one' - Paul Economides

How quickly someone's world can come crashing down around their ears. When Paul Economides was first slated to fight Scottish slickster Stephen Russell on the Hatton-Ndou undercard, everybody knew he was just one fight away from stardom. Beat his inactive, yet supremely talented opponent, and the British boxing public would be forced to take notice.

Sadly things don't always turn out the way you plan. Just over two minutes after the first bell, Economides, after being dropped with a left hand counter, was being saved from further punishment by the referee. Make no bones about it, this was a crushing defeat.

Russell looked the star. To be fair Economides looked a hype-job, a man who's reviews in fights previous could be seen to be a little flattering. Economides however, was carrying a secret, one that has only now been released into the public domain.

“In sparring, the first time I made the weight, I had to stop the sparring after four rounds, it was meant to be eight rounds but I felt dead. I was sparring amateurs, good amateurs mind you, but you know what I mean?. When I was at 9st 4 I was sparring ten rounds with Rendall Munroe, and I am meaning hard rounds. Then I move down to 8st 11 and I am knackered. I had to take a number of days off training just to try and recover. In the week before the fight I had people asking 'are you OK Paul, you look like shit?' I didn't look great because I hadn't drunk water for two days. I tried to get myself rehydrated but it just wouldn't work.”

By the time fight night came, Economides was a shell of the fighter who had earned the great reviews in the previous year. In retrospect it was no surprise when what happened, happened.

“Firstly, I don't want to take anything away from Stephen Russell, the lad is class, and I'm surprised he hasn't been out since. What he landed was a good punch, but I have never been down, even in the gym. I have taken shots off Omar (Gumati), he hits really hard, and Chris (Goodwin), he isn't a banger but he is much bigger than me. But when I got caught my legs just went. I should have stayed down for longer but my pride got me up. I came out swinging and then I got stopped.”

Apparently the preparation on the night was not ideal either. Appearing on a big show for the first time, Economides was put in as the 'swing bout.' A role he was completely unaccustomed to.

“Firstly they told me I was on second. OK. Then, they told me I was on sixth just before the main bout. Then they told me I was going on last and I was like, 'oh, come on'.' I think that threw me off as well.”

Russell proceeded to take his well earned plaudits, he had done exactly what he said he was going to do. Economides wandered back to the dressing room, a disconsolate figure, who knows what the future was going to hold for the youngster? Boxing history has shown us that a defeat can either make or break a fighter. And to be honest, no-one really knows how he will react until his next fight. That will take place on March 14th at the Reebok stadium on the Alex Matvienko undercard. Economides himself admits he was devastated.

“I was super-duper depressed, I still am. I was an arsehole with everyone. Sadly my trainer Martin Waugh had to take a step back. He just couldn't put the time in. Three times a week? That's not enough for a pro boxer. I have gone with Steve Goodwin full time, he is more experienced, he has worked with legendary trainer Brian Hughes. I have moved up in to super-feather and he has taken me back to basics. I only knew one way to fight, come forward and have a scrap. I'm still a come forward fighter, but I have been watching lots of Michael Gomez videos. I just couldn't believe the things I was doing wrong. People have already noticed my improvement and are being very complimentary in the gym. Let's just hope it works out fight night.”

Still, despite all these changes, Paul has made it clear that he will retire if he loses his next fight. Strong words, but one suspects that his soul is being tortured in much the same way that Ricky Hatton was crestfallen prior to his battle with Juan Lazcano, post his devastating defeat to Floyd Mayweather. The Chester man explains.

“If I lose two fights in a row, that would mentally screw me. I want to win a title, that's why I am a fighter. If I couldn't beat someone like I will be fighting then what's the point in carrying on? That's the way I see it.”

I believe him as well. Economides has always set himself big targets, he just isn't willing to take second place, to become a win-some, lose-some fighter on the domestic circuit, it's all or nothing.

The prospect of Paul Economides riding off into the sunset will undoubtedly worry his fan base. It is them however, that have driven him to come back.

“I just want them to know that I haven't left the gym. I want them to know that this isn't the end of the road. I want to win titles, Area, British Master, Welsh, even going on to British. That's why I said win or walk, for the fans, I want them to know I have something to offer, I cant just finish at that. They need to know I can step up, Russell was a step up and it went wrong, but I am better than that, I will do it for them.”

At this point a name pops into my head. That name is Dai Davies. The Welsh champion at Paul's weight. I tell him that I feel that could be a great scrap and a winnable fight. Funnily enough, that name has already come up in conversation between him an his trainer.

“I have already spoken to Steve Goodwin about that one. I heard he can be good one day and not so good the next. I would like two more fights and then I hope a promotional company can get that one on.”

First things first, Economides needs to exorcise his demons on March 14th against an opponent yet to be named. You don't go from being a top prospect to a has-been with one punch, ask Amir Khan. Blown away in less than a minute against Breidis Prescott, fast forward one year and he is a world champion. Paul Economides needs to remember that, one hopes the vocal support of the Chester public will make it very difficult for him to forget it.