As soon as-beaten cruiserweight Floyd Masson (14-1, 8 KOs) will face essentially the most skilled opponent of his profession when he travels to Wroclaw, Poland to struggle former world title challenger Mateusz Masternak (48-6, 32 KOs) on November 16.
The struggle seemingly materialized out of nowhere, with Australian-based Kiwi southpaw Masson studying concerning the bout little greater than a month out from the proposed bout.
He jumped on the alternative.
“We have been attempting to get a struggle and the way in which issues have been wanting, it was going to be a struggle abroad,” the 32-year-old Masson defined to The Ring, who might be having his first skilled bout outdoors of his adopted nation. “So my promoters, Angelo Di Carlo and Glenn Hosking, from Ace Boxing put the feelers out and we acquired a couple of gives, together with from individuals over in America, however the dates didn’t work out.
“Then we acquired this supply with Masternak, which was a struggle I’d fairly take anyway as a result of he’s within the prime 10 [with the IBF]. It was simply an enormous alternative and after they provided us the struggle, I spoke to my coach Blair Studley and he was eager on it, so we just about took it immediately.”
Masson, who was born within the regional city of Te Awamutu on New Zealand’s North Island however bins out of the Queensland capital of Brisbane, continues to be in a rebuilding part of his profession after being stopped by rugged Belgian Yves Ngabu within the sixth-round of their slugfest on the Eatons Hill Lodge in September final 12 months.
Since then he has employed Studley, from the Nitro Boxing Membership in Chermside, as his new coach. Of their first outing collectively in August, Masson resisted his pure urge to brawl and methodically broke down and stopped fellow Kiwi Joshua ‘Chucky’ Francis in 4.
“It was good to get again in there, get the win and put that loss behind me,” mentioned Masson. “If you first lose, you simply need to get again in there and win once more. And clearly I needed to await some time too with damage and stuff like that, however it was actually good.”
Every thing went to plan for Masson within the Francis struggle. He was quick, sharp and correct, exhibiting accountable protection in shut, selecting off his forward-charging depend with laborious counters to the physique and head.
“I undoubtedly felt calm and relaxed in there, which was good,” mentioned Masson. “It was my first struggle with my new coach, which was the primary time in a very long time that I felt I had somebody in there who had acquired my again. I may return to the nook and actually hear Blair’s directions and attempt to implement them within the struggle, which makes an enormous distinction. Now we have gelled rather well.”
Pretty much as good as Masson regarded beneath Studley’s steerage of their maiden voyage, the actual litmus take a look at will come towards Masternak. The seasoned veteran, now 37 years previous, proved as lately as final 12 months that he can nonetheless combine it with the most effective when he challenged The Ring’s No. 1 contender, Chris Billam-Smith, for his WBO belt in Bournemouth, England final December.
Masternak was greater than aggressive. He managed the vary nicely and his proper hand was a key weapon, however it was the physique assault from Billam-Smith that finally wore him down. When he was unable to reply the bell to begin the eighth, Masternak was main 5 spherical to 2 on two of the judges’ scorecards and even on the third.
Masson has studied his opponent and say he is aware of what to anticipate from Masternak, who might be up towards his first left-handed opponent in a dozen years.
“Watching his previous fights, he’s clearly very skilled and it seems like he adjusts rather well because the struggle goes on. And clearly, this comes with expertise. Within the CBS struggle, he regarded actually sharp and he has a very good proper hand and he was touchdown that proper hand rather a lot,” he mentioned.
“Clearly he’s attending to be an older fighter and he has had a whole lot of fights in his profession. I feel the principle factor for me is that I’ve simply acquired to again myself and struggle a wise gameplan. I do know I can beat him. It’s a final resort factor for me to show it right into a pub struggle – and I’m certain he’s been in loads of these kinds of fights – however it’ll be attention-grabbing to see how a lot he has left within the tank.
“He’s undoubtedly a beatable fighter and we consider we are able to defeat him. We simply have to field sensible and I simply have to do what I do greatest to get the win.”
