Chatham lightweight Robert Caswell expects toughest test yet when he takes on Honduras fighter Jayro Fernando Duran at York Hall
05:00, 01 September 2023
There’s a potential title fight on the horizon for Robert Caswell - but he can’t look any further than a tough challenge awaiting him next.
Dangerous Honduran boxer Jayro Fernando Duran (15-15) is his opponent at York Hall this Saturday and all the focus is on that ahead of a possible Southern Area fight in October.
Duran’s 15 wins have included 14 KOs and he’s only been stopped twice. Caswell, who fights at lightweight, knows he needs to be on top of his game for the six-round contest.
He said: “People have already messaged me about a possible title fight but I have to get this one out of the way. You can’t take your eyes off the ball and this opponent will probably be the toughest of my career. I really need to focus for this one.
“This is my first opponent with a 50-50 record, he’s dangerous and I need to be really switched on.”
Caswell has already seen Duran at close quarters as his last fight was against his gym-mate and sparring partner Kurt Walker, who won on points.
The Chatham man said: “He is game - he comes to win, he swings quite a bit, a bit unorthodox and he’s dangerous but I just need to stay switched on.
“I’m confident, though. I have put in the training. I was supposed to fight on August 11 but that got cancelled a week and a half before so I have just done one big camp straight through, seven or eight weeks of hard training, so I’m in good shape for it.”
A devastating body punch was enough to see off his last opponent, Logan Paling, in the second round but Caswell knows he needs to be tested.
“I think this one will go the distance,” said the 22-year-old. “He has boxed former world champions like Kiko Martinez and Terry Flanagan and they took him the distance so I will do well to stop him.
“I could have had a pushover but what do I learn from it? I need to learn and that would put me in good stead for a possible title fight.”
Lose this one and Caswell knows a fight for a title would be off.
“It’s pretty much win at all costs,” he said.
“I feel like I will get a lot of good lessons from this fight, it will be about sticking to my boxing because I know I can’t really get involved with him and play to his game. I need to stick to my boxing, be disciplined and I think I will win pretty well if I do that.
“I’ve had plenty of sparring ahead of this fight, I have had a solid seven weeks of it, my runs, my conditioning, I would say I am in the best shape of my career so far.”
The weekend fight will be over six rounds, instead of the expected eight, as there would be a short turnaround before boxing again if he wins.
“Hopefully I can get through this one unscathed and then focus on the next one,” Caswell added.
He has only been boxing professionally for a couple of years and is quickly picking up new fans. His local football club, Chatham Town, are backing him and he enjoyed being paraded on the pitch at half-time of one of their games.
He was pleased to see the Chatham players in the gym themselves, training with his former coach Johnny Armour. Caswell started off under Armour’s tutelage, from out of the ex-world champion’s shed.
“I have learned so much in nearly two years,” he said. “I had a shoutout at Chatham.
“It was Johnny Armour who first taught me how to box, then I went to St Mary’s and stayed there.
“He was a good coach, high energy, and he still has the passion for it. He’s a lovely bloke and I’ve seen his new gym [in Chatham] which is a nice set-up.”
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