Kris Carslaw aiming for the Lonsdale belt
Scottish light-middleweight Kris Carslaw recently moved to 13-0 and is within touching distance of a British title shot. BoxRec News recently spoke to the former kickboxing world champion.
You have just moved to 13-0 after your first defence of your British masters light-middleweight title with a shutout points win over Willie Thompson. Were you happy with your performance in that fight?
KC: Yes, I was happy with my performance. I was glad to get the ten rounds under my belt for when I move up to British title level, which will only be another two rounds more and which I felt like I could have went on to do. I feel I could have claimed a stoppage if I hadn't hurt my hand in the fourth round, as from that point on I couldn't land any heavy punches.
Are you happy with the progress you have made since turning pro in 2007?
KC: I am happy with my progress now and feel like I'm improving and learning more with every fight. When I first turned pro I had quite a slow start but I'm now getting more fights and heading towards the British title.
On that note, your promoter Tommy Gimour has been quoted as saying that you will definitely fight for the British title against the winner of the upcoming Sam Webb Prince Arron clash. It will be a big step up to go from facing the likes of Thompson to either Webb or Arron. Do you feel ready for the step-up in class?
KC: I do feel ready for the British, I'm now at 13-0 and feel as though I have matured not only as a boxer but also as a person and I definitely feel ready for the step up to the Arrons and Webbs of the sport.
Do you have any preference on which one you would rather fight and how do you see the Webb-Arron bout going?
KC: I'm happy to fight either boxer, at the end of the day I need to fight the best to be the best. After watching them both perform I feel that it could go either way depending on their performance on the night. If Webb gets inside Arron's reach I think he could win, but if Arron keeps him at long range then he could claim the title.
Do you look at a British title as a pinnacle of a career or are you looking to use it as a stepping-stone to even bigger things?
KC: The British title is my only focus at the minute and 'when' I claim the belt I hope to defend it a number of times and win it outright before moving on to even bigger fights.
You train with Colin Belshaw at the Saltire boxing gym in Paisley, which boasts an impressive stable, including Kevin McIntyre and Ryan Brawley. Is there a rivalry with the Billy Nelson stable that now boasts a world champion in Ricky Burns?
KC: There is no rivalry whatsoever between the two gyms. I've been up to Billy's gym for sparring a few times and have always been welcomed.
Before becoming a boxer, you were a world champion kickboxer, what made you decide to make the change?
KC: I decided to make the change from kickboxing to boxing because I was a three-time world champion and had gone really as far as I could go. It didn't help that it got to the stage where no-one else wanted to fight me! On a serious note I felt like there was more opportunities in the boxing field. I'm glad I made the change!
