READING featherweight Gelasius Taaru wants another knock-out in his next fight.
The 23-year-old has made an explosive start to his professional career, blasting out Luke Fash, a fighter with a rock-chinned reputation, inside a round and then stopping Stefan Sashov.
Taaru is back in action at the York Hall in Bethnal Green on Saturday, May 27 – and doesn’t want the fight to go the full four rounds.
“Boxing is a business,” he said, “and in this business, you need to get noticed.
“I want to get noticed by knocking people out. That’s what the crowds want to see – and that’s what I want to give them.
“People say I need to get rounds under my belt, but I do a lot of rounds sparring with top quality boys.
“I learn a lot in sparring and when I fight, I want to knock people out. I don’t want to get in there thinking I want to go a few rounds because what happens if I get caught? That could be the end of my career. I want to get them before they get me.”
Taaru says he has learned from his last fight, a three-round stoppage of Stefan Sashov at the York Hall in February.
“I tried too hard to knock him out, and it got a bit scruffy," he said.
“The referee stopped it because I was on him, he was blowing and was going to get hurt, but it wasn’t the clean knock-out I wanted.
“That’s taught me that when I go looking for the knock-out, it doesn’t come.
“I just have to go in there, relax and have fun and the knock-outs will happen.”
Taaru believes he has a big future ahead of him.
“I’m strong at nine stones,” he said. “People have told me I must be the biggest featherweight ever and I know my manager (Mickey Helliet) really believes in me.
“That gives me a lot of confidence.
“I just need some more experience and when I have that, I believe I can get right up there.”
Tickets for the show at the York Hall are available from 07475 792041.
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