Spiteful Junaid Bostan ready to add Bilal Fawaz to his highlight reel

Matchroom’s junior welterweight prospect Junaid Boston hopes to catch the eye when he takes on Bilal Fawaz for the vacant English title on Friday.

There has long been a buzz around the Rotherham youngster, and the 22-year-old Boston has stopped eight of his 10 opponents.

The skilful southpaw, trained by Grant Smith, believes Friday night will serve as part of his journey to the top

“I know I possess the skills, the ability and the power to stop him,” said Bostan of his opponent at The Indigo at London’s O2 Arena. “If that comes, happy days. I love knocking my opponents out. Clearly, after my last few performances, I’m getting into the highlight reel knockout stage. If you go looking for it, it won’t come. I’ll ping his head off for 10 rounds if I have to. He’s there to be hit, is all I’m going to say. Let’s just see how his chin keeps up for 10 rounds. We’ll see.

“It’s his Cinderella moment. Bilal is 35 or 36. This is make or break for him. This is his moment in his mind. Unfortunately, his moment isn’t going to come with me. In order to get where I need to get, I need to stop another man getting to where he needs to get. Unfortunately for him, he’s in my way.

“Bilal is experienced. I know he had a very good amateur background – over 90 fights. He’s a little awkward. Nothing I can’t deal with. He’s got a lot of things to worry about when it comes to me. I’ll let him deal with the worry.”

While Bostan wants bigger things in the future, he knows they will ohnly come if he gets through Fawaz first.

“I feel like I’ve always had that mindset in place. I just feel when you’re young and naïve you want to jump the gun sometimes and you get overeager. I’ve got to take it one step at a time,” Bostan added. “Right now, it’s the English title. After that, what will come will come.

“The last 12 months had its ups and downs. Despite all of the ups and downs I performed very well under the lights. In my last two fights I got two stoppages. Both with the left hand, both stances. I’ve done my thing under the lights, but I feel like I’m maturing outside of the ring. I just need to keep on maintaining what I’m doing under the lights and everything else will pay off.”

In Friday’s main event, George Liddard takes center stage, and he holds a split decision win over Bostan from their amateur days. It is a rivalry that Bostan can see being reignited in the future.

“Shout out to George. He’s a very good fighter and he’s been performing very well,” Bostan added. “Obviously, he’s a weight above me. If my skinny ass is asked to move up at some point, of course that’s a fight to be made down the line. I’ve got Bilal in my way, and I need to deal with him. It was a good fight in the amateurs. The fucker got me with a split decision. He’s doing his thing. At the end of the day that’s part of the experience, part of the plot, and if we do meet down the line, it’ll make it sweet when I get him.”

Bostan and Liddard lead the way on the Matchroom NXTGEN card. Liddard, (10-0, 6 KOs), meets Derrick Osaze (13-2, 3 KOs), Brentwood middleweight Jimmy Sains, (8-0, 8 KOs), fights France’s Pierre Rosadini (6-6-3) over eight rounds, Aldershot junior lightweight Giorgio Visioli (5-0, 4 KOs) faces Mexcio’s Francisco Javier Lucero (16-6-4, 12 KOs), Newham middleweight Leli Buttigieg (6-0, 1 KO) squares off with Welshman James Todd (4-4-2) over six rounds, Cardiff super-middleweight Taylor Bevan (1-0, 1 KO) faces Poland’s Szymon Kajda (1-0-1, 1 KO) over six rounds, Coinsdale junior welterweight Jesse Brandon (4-0, 1 KO) fights Estonia’s Semjon Kamanin (5-2, 3 KOs) over six rounds and Eltham flyweight Maiseyrose Courtney (7-1) meets Serbian veteran Jasmina Nad (11-33-5, 4 KOs).