Delisle confident of out-hustling Woods
Interview by Anthony Cocks, Site Editor (October 20, 2004) 
Jason Delisle
When IBF Pan Pacific light heavyweight champion Jason 'The Nailer' Delisle steps into the ring against three-time world title challenger and IBF #5 Clinton Woods on October 24, there will be more at stake than just the IBF #2 ranking. For Delisle it also represents the opportunity to prove that he belongs at the elite level.

"It would be a huge, huge victory for me," Delisle, 15-2-2 (8), told DoghouseBoxing late last week. "If I win this then I go to number two and anything can happen after that. I want a shot at a world title so it's a step closer."

The affable 32-year-old Australian, who flew out to England on Friday, has been sparring world class fighters Danny Green, Sam Soliman, Nader Hamdan and Glen Kelly and believes his preparation couldn't be better.

"It's going unreal mate," enthused Delisle. "Haven't sparred better and never been stronger and fitter. I can't complain, plus today was like 40 degrees."

In Woods he faces a ten year veteran who lasted five-and-a-half rounds with then undisputed light heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr. and who went twenty-four rugged rounds with current IBF titleholder and recent Jones conqueror Glengoffe Johnson for a draw and a unanimous decision loss. Although they are the same age, Woods, 35-3-1 (21), clearly has a lot more mileage on his pugilistic odometer.

"He's been around," Delisle says of his 32-year-old opponent. "He's had three shots at a world title, so he's a decent boxer. I've pretty much got to take it up to him and dominate right from the start because it's in his hometown. I saw him fight Johnson where it was a draw; I thought Johnson won the fight easy. So it's going to be very tough, but I'm looking forward to it.

"His weakness is he's a lazy fighter, I reckon," continued Delisle. "His strengths are it's his hometown, his own country. He's got all the support behind him."

The key to victory, according to Delisle, is to apply relentless pressure.

"Just a high workrate," he said of his gameplan. "A very high workrate, that's about it. Just keep coming forward on him. Like I said he's a lazy fighter; I'm not going to give him a rest, not going to give him a breather."

Currently ranked at number nine in the IBF ratings, Delisle will be facing his toughest test since losing by 5th round TKO to current WBC 'interim' champion Danny Green at super middleweight in June last year. Delisle says he suffered the effects of weight drain in that fight and is now committed to campaigning at the more comfortable light heavyweight limit.

"In that fight I thought I'd make the weight easier than what I did," admitted Delisle. "I just lost too much weight. I was too weak, Danny was just throwing me around and bulling me up when I'm usually the one doing that to people. Danny put on a good fight that night and I take nothing away from him, but it was just the extra weight loss I think."

The Dino Billinghurst trained fighter acknowledges the inherent dangers of fighting in his opponent's backyard, but he remains optimistic about achieving a favourable result. This will be Delisle's first fight as a professional to be held outside Australia and he can expect no favours from the notoriously hostile Sheffield crowd.

"Dunno yet," he said when asked if he thought fighting overseas would adversely affect him. "Mate, I'll tell you when I get back. Hopefully it won't affect me too much. All I'm worried about it jetlag so if I get over that I don't think anything is going to worry me."

Despite identifying Woods as a lazy fighter, Delisle says he expects the Sheffield boxer to lay some heat on him in the opening rounds.

"I know that he is going to try to take it to me," he said, "but that's the first step that I've got to overcome and get him on the back foot. He's going to be all fired up in front of his hometown, which always sort of inspires you a bit more. But like I said I've just got to get past that first hurdle.

"I can't wait for it. I'm really looking forward to it. I can't wait to get over there and come face to face with Woods and get down to business and go on from there. From fight to fight to fight, all the way to a world title. He's my stepping stone."
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