Staying active is key to Raymond Ford`s continued progress in boxing.
The 26-year-old boxer celebrated his second victory in the super-featherweight division, moving up after a stint as WBA featherweight champion, a title he previously lost to Nick Ball.
Ford`s recent fight was against Thomas Mattice at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Despite Mattice`s pre-fight talk, he offered little resistance during their 10-round match. The event also featured Eimantas Stanionis in a welterweight title unification, highlighting Stanionis`s infrequent fight schedule – only his third in three years. Ford is determined to maintain an active career as he pursues another world title opportunity.
In an interview with Boxing News, Ford stressed the significance of staying busy. “It`s very important. I`m still young, a developing fighter. Gaining experience keeps improving me, aiming for a level where no one can compete with me,” he stated.
Ford dominated Mattice, who offered minimal opposition, leading to crowd disapproval as the fight concluded with an easy win for Ford, nicknamed “Savage.” Ford recounted Mattice`s attempts at mind games during the fight. “He was telling me to stay in the pocket and things like that, but it didn`t feel genuine. It seemed like he was only attacking sporadically, trying to land a big punch. So, I had to remain cautious and manage my pace. He was trying to disrupt my focus, saying things like, `Oh yeah, I like that,` or `You`re trying hard.` And I responded, `Let`s make it big then,`” Ford explained.
Mattice even briefly lifted Ford during the bout, which Ford found amusing initially. “It was fun until it became tedious, and I started to get bored,” Ford admitted.
“I was aiming for a knockout. It was entertaining at first, but after a while, I was hitting him with solid shots, and he wasn`t really engaging. I realized he was just trying to survive, and I became bored and wanted to finish him.”
Looking ahead, Ford is focused on a potential world title fight. Eduardo Nunez is scheduled to face Masanori Rikiishi for the vacant IBF super-featherweight title in Yokohama, Japan, on May 28. Ford emphasized that staying active is still a priority, even if a title shot isn`t immediately next. “Hopefully, it`s Nunez [next], but if not, I`ll take another fight to stay busy because I don`t want to be inactive. As I said, I want to be active and ready,” he concluded.
