By Jonny Rashman: Manchester boxer Craig ‘the hammer’ Watson beat John O’Donnell in a real grudge match to claim the British welterweight title On Saturday night at Wembley arena. It has been a long road for Watson to get the praise he deserves.

Watson traveled down to London to fight fellow prospect John O’Donnell in April of 2009 for the Commonwealth welterweight championship in an energetic thriller which was a contender for fight of the year Watson was on the wrong end of a hometown decision and lost his belt. A year previous to that Watson had his finest win to date totally outclassing the European Champion and world title contender Matthew Hatton. A Series of fighters pulling out and boxing politics plagued Watson and kept him out of the ring for over a year prior to there first meeting.

Taking nothing to chance Watson trained like a warrior at the Northside boxing gym in Clayton Manchester under the tutelage of trainer Joe Pennington. One of the people who has put all his time in to developing Watson’s career. A true boxing trainer who lives and breaths the sport who lives next door to the gym and even remortgaged his house to extend the gym.

So the stage was set for Watson to get his revenge against O’Donnell only this time the stakes were higher as the vacated British welterweight title was on the line. He knew as the fight was staged in London again that he had to either win very convincingly or knock O’Donnell out. Watson came out like a man possessed stalking O’Donnell landing vicious uppercuts on the inside. O’Donnell looked stunned and was getting out jabbed and out-boxed by the smaller man. As Watson started so fast he began to tire in the middle rounds with trainer Joe Pennington telling him to “up his work rate” Watson finished the fight as he started and this time the result was never in doubt.

Watson is a 2 weight commonwealth champion, a highly skilled southpaw, hits hard, has a superb defense,and has the fight anyone anytime mentality all the ingredients to be a future world champion. Yet a lot of people outside Manchester don’t know who he is. With the talent he possesses its only a matter of time till Watson becomes a house hold name.

Watson has never had a steady promoter to guide him like a Hennessey and Froch or Warren and Calzaghe. He has recently signed with Hatton promotions which should boost his profile as they are making big waves in the boxing promoting world. One of the few things fight fans knows about Watson is that he knocked Amir Khan down in the amateurs making him do the chicken dance in the process. Granted Amir khan is a fantastic fighter and has improved since then and mixed in better class but i really think if khan moves up to welterweight then there is unfinished business between the pair. I could see Watson shocking the world and beating khan, some fans will laugh at that but that’s only because khan had the name and the right promotion to allow him to take an easier route to the world championship. Thats taking nothing away from khan who has proved he is a world class fighter but that is the reality of the situation.

With the right promotion on his side Watson will also prove that he is a world class fighter as-well. If a fighter like Dmitrey Salita can get a title shot against Khan then there’s no reason why Criag Watson cannot.

With a record of 20 wins and 3 losses as respectable as that is a lot of boxing fans will think that is not the best of records, but you have to bear in mind that most of Watson’s opponents have been against talented boxers with good records. In other words he hasn’t fought 20 bums with no power or desire. He even stepped up to light middleweight on 2 days notice to fight Uganda knockout artist Badru Lusambya and stopped him in two rounds. I don’t know to many boxers who has the confidence an the desire to do that most would rather hide behind there padded records then go and take chances.

With the British Welterweight tile in his locker Watson’s profile is going to rise and this is the start of a new star in Manchester and British Boxing. Craig Watson is definitely a future world champion.