Boy to Man: Henry Turner can now do it all

‘The Showman’ versus ‘The Demolition Man’. The artistic, successful amateur against the slow burner who has battled his way up through the small halls. The classy, southpaw boxer against the strong, heavy handed pressure fighter. 

On paper, the vacant British super lightweight title fight between Buckinghamshire’s multi-time national champion Henry Turner and Shaw’s Commonwealth champion Jack Rafferty has absolutely everything. 

Turner, 13-0 (5 KOs), and Rafferty, 23-0 (14 KOs), will fight on the undercard of Nick Ball’s WBA featherweight title defence against Ronny Rios on in Liverpool on October 5th and came face to face for the first time at Wednesday’s press conference.

“I’m looking forward to coming up here. All of my fights have been in London at the York Hall or the Copperbox. I did go to Dubai so it’s not my first away day. I think I’ve been a little bit further than Liverpool,” a relaxed Turner told BoxingScene after making the the trip north with his trainer, Al Smith.

“I’m over the moon. The board ordered it and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The Commonwealth title is on the line as well and there are big opportunities available too.”

The winner of the fight will claim the title Dalton Smith vacated earlier this year. When a quality, established champion like Smith relinquishes a belt, it can leave a void with a new champion needing to prove himself. Turner, 23, believes that the quality of his match-up with Rafferty is such that the winner will instantly establish themselves as a respected, major name in the division. 

“Whoever wins this is a genuine champion at 140lbs. I think it’s one of the best British title fights for a long time at 140lbs. I’m looking forward to it,” he said. 

“Styles are going to make fights. He’s a come-forward fighter and I’m a boxer. I think it’ll be a cracker.

“I think it’s a great fight. It’s a real fifty-fifty and a very good domestic fight. I think it’s the fight of the night.”

Turner was a quicksilver boxer when he first turned over but has steadily matured. He is now a big, strong 140lb fighter who has shown improving power and has stopped five of his last six opponents. In April, he became a bully and pushed back Colombian puncher Maykol Mendoza, stopping him in five rounds. Working alongside marauding British, Commonwealth and European lightweight champion Sam Noakes on a daily basis at the IBox Gym in Bromley has undoubtedly toughened him, but Turner puts his improvement mainly down to time and experience.

“It just showed in that fight what I’ve been working on. I didn’t have to box him. I could take it right to him and step to him. I’ve shown in my fights now that I can do both,” he said.

“When I turned pro I was an 18-year-old boy. I’ve developed perfectly. I’ve become a man now and I do think it’s all come at the perfect time in a way. I’ve always been able to box and I’ll always be able to, no doubt about it. Since the amateurs I’ve done it. I’ve always had that skill set; it was always just a matter of learning how to fight. Now, I can do both.

“I’ve always looked up to Sam because he’s always been that step ahead of me. I’m just trying to follow in his footsteps. We’re in the gym together every day so we strive together and push each other. We kind of look up to each other. Sam might look at me for my boxing whereas I might look at him for his strength and how well he can fight. We take things from each other.”

John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X @John_Evans79