'This ride isn't over' - Derry Mathews exclusive

The fight was stopped. Lawton was victorious. It looked like the end for one of my favourite fighters and I felt sick to the stomach. It shouldn't have ended like this.

'Dirty' Derry Mathews was once destined for world glory. Not the WBU title he won when he made Stephen Foster Jnr look like a novice in the champion's home town back in October 2006. We were talking real world titles. Now it was November 2009. Derry had lost four times, all by stoppage against guys you would pick him to beat and the journey had come to an end. He was only 26 for god sake. It just didn't seem right.

The inevitable retirement followed and we all wished Derry well. If the body wasn't up to it why continue? He gave us many a good night. No, he never achieved the heights anticipated but not everyone does. He did well, now he was getting out in once piece. That's good enough.

When I heard about the comeback almost a year later I will admit it, I thought it could be messy. There were stories of his head not being right which contributed to those infamous defeats, about how this time it would be different. Sadly, I am old enough to have heard those stories a million times before and to be justifiably sceptical. He beat a couple of journeymen but the fears for his reputation and possible safety only increased when he entered 'Prizefighter' in November 2010.

This series was to include British champ Gary Sykes, hot prospect Gary Buckland and Choi, a man who had inflicted Derry's first ever defeat in brutal fashion back in 2008. These were guys who most did not believe Mathews should face.

One night later he was back. He had stopped Scottish fighter Gary McArthur in three rounds, exorcised the ghost of Choi, winning on points in a war and made the final. A tired Mathews got stopped in the end by Buckland but that wasn't the point. He had proved he still had a something to offer. The journey may not have finished just yet.

Just over a year later, Mathews is fighting for a title - though not necessarily a version of the world title some of us hoped he might get. He faces off for the IBO lightweight belt on January 20th against Emiliano Marsili at the Olympia in Liverpool. This sounds like a fairytale, not just for his loyal fans, but for the fighter himself.

“Sometimes I have to pinch myself that that this is actually happening. I am fighting for the IBO title when most people said I was finished. Now winning that title would be a dream come true. I have to thank Vaughan Boxing. It's great when you have people around that you trust and they do everything they promise they would do. If you have a team like that you can't go wrong.”

The last year really has been something special. A revenge win over Scott Lawton, a knockout win over Amir Unsworth (in which he claimed the English title), a stoppage victory over George Watson and another brutal destruction of local rival Stephen Jennings led to a European title shot against Welsh hard-case Gavin Rees.

It was a encounter that got the British scene buzzing and for once the fight seemed to be living up to the hype. That was until the fight was stopped after Derry broke his nose on the hard head of Rees in the fourth. The match was declared a draw. Mathews was understandably disappointed.

“It was so frustrating. I thought I won the first and second quite easily. Gav won the third and I thought I was winning the fourth when it got stopped. The plan was to take over in the second half of the fight and finish him late. We never got that far and I was gutted. Credit to Gavin, he's a good champ but I didn't have any luck there.”

After the fight there was a real concern that Mathews may just have lost his chance of once again hitting the big time. Before the unsatisfactory finish, Derry had been doing very well. Now any champion who thought they may take a voluntary against a big name with five stoppage defeats on their record would think again. He had proven himself to be dangerous. That could make him avoided. Thankfully for Mathews he got some rather good news almost right away.

“Stephen Vaughan got a phone call saying I had been made IBO mandatory challenger. We were buzzing. This was a real world title and it was finally on. After all the hardships we had got there. We have even got it in my own city of Liverpool. Now it's time to win it.”

Derry had been originally scheduled to fight Alisher Rahimov of Uzbekistan. This wasn't going to be an easy fight. Rahimov boasted a 23-0 (12KO) record. It was a challenge that Mathews was more than happy to undertake. Sadly Rahimov backed out of the fight. This was quite a disappointment for Derry.

“He was ranked second in the WBA and the WBC number five and would have been a great scalp. He is a really good fighter and has been massively avoided. I was willing to fight him however as I will fight anybody. Saying that everything happens for a reason. He has got a WBC title shot, and I have the Italian Emiliano Marsili who is another good fighter. It's all worked out fine.”

For many Marsili may be a bit of an unknown quantity, despite his impressive record of 23-0-1 (9KO). Mathews however, is a studious sort and knows exactly what he is getting in the ring with.

“He is a southpaw, he comes to fight and is a good counter puncher. He is ranked number nine in Europe and I heard he is bringing a lot of support over from Italy. They are gonna make a lot of noise, so I need my fans to make even more!”

There seems to be no looking past the Italian and this has been reflected in the quality of the camp Mathews and trainer Oliver Harrison have put together.

“It has been superb. Everything is going right, the camp, my personal life, it's perfect. Oliver has got me in tip-top condition. I have been doing extra weights with my conditioner and my nutritionist has got me great at the weight. We have left no stone unturned, and let's face it, we can't afford to.”

It appears that this is a seriously focused unit. It would be very easy to look past Marsili, especially with the rumours of a world title fight against Scottish star Ricky Burns if Derry is successful against the Italian. Matthews however is concentrating on the matter in hand.

“I just have to go out there and do my job and concentrate on Emiliano Marsili. If we can get Burns great, but I leave all that stuff to the Vaughans. But yes, if it was offered I would take it like a shot. I regard Ricky as a friend. I have so much time for his wife, Billy Nelson and his wife as well. But this is my job and it's what puts food on the table. So I have no problem fighting him at all.”

So after the rollercoaster of the five years, Derry could stand on the brink of becoming a world champion, something that most thought was impossible just two years ago. Mathews is happy to dedicate this to his fans and those who have stayed with him through thick and thin.

“I just want to say thanks to all my fans and I want them to know I am doing everything I can with my trainer Oliver Harrison to make that night in Olympia a success. I have sold 500 tickets on my own doorstep. I want to thank all the sponsors as well who never lost faith in me and what I could do. This ride isn't over. We are going on to bigger and better things and we are starting on the January 20th ”

So here we go. It could be argued that it doesn't really matter if Derry wins that IBO title or not. He has already proved the doubters wrong and shown what a man with an unbreakable spirit can do, if he has the right people around him. But we know it doesn't work like that. We want this journey to continue and even more success to come his way.

We have learned never to back against 'Dirty' Derry Mathews. Consequently it would take a brave man to bet on him not coming away with that title on January 20th.

Derry Mathews, it's over to you.