Sam tangled in a Small Webb

British and Commonwealth light-middleweight champion Anthony Small was in his usual energetic manner at yesterday’s press conference to promote the Hatton Team’s first London event which takes place this Friday at Dagenham’s Goresbrook Leisure Centre.

It was the South Londoner who did his best to give guys like myself something to write about while doing his utmost to get into the head and under the skin of his challenger Sam Webb.

Arriving last and late, Small entered dressed in a black track suit and sporting dark black glasses he appeared calm when passing my seat en route to the table where he would join the likes of Ricky and Matthew Hatton while seated at the opposite end of Sam.

When I greeted him Anthony was quick to reply with a friendly hand shake and then it was off to the business of attempting to be an annoying spider in Sam’s Webb. (It seems he did a pretty good job.)

Sam, for his part, was short and sweet saying that training had gone well and he is confident of victory.

Small opened up by declaring his unashamed stance of being a Muslim and said even if the press are bored of hearing just like his hero Muhammad Ali he stands by what he believes in and then began his welcome for Sam.

“I like Sam, he is a nice guy and I respect him highly.” At this point Webb butted in murmuring “Yeah.”

Anthony continued, “Although Sam has been saying a lot of disrespectful things about me one of them being he is going to shut my big mouth in the words of Muhammad Ali.” Small then opened his mouth widely and looked intently at Webb as if to say you can’t close my mouth.

None of which amused Sam in the slightest.

But Small hadn’t finished just yet. “Sam is a good old pro I have no doubt that Sam will win a British title but in the words of Harrison Ford, ‘Not on my shift.’

Caring Small doesn’t want to do too much damage to him though and kindly offered a means of protection by pulling out a headguard from under the table.

His closed his speech with a familiar promise. “In the words of Robbie Williams, come along and let me entertain you.”

The floor was soon opened for questions but there were some afters in store.

Sam picked up the headguard and threw it in Small’s direction. Having missed his target Anthony used this as means of further bait. “You couldn’t even hit me with my back turned, you see I’m so elusive.”

Small for all his talk enjoys every moment and he laps up every single opportunity for interviews and interaction.

Apart from Ricky he was the last man standing. Sam for his part soon departed after the photo shoot.

Who will be the last man standing tomorrow night?