LAS VEGAS – The final time Stephen Fulton was within the ring, it was in entrance of a packed crowd on the Ariake Enviornment in Tokyo as he and Naoya Inoue battled for undisputed supremacy at 122 kilos. That night time in Japan, 14 months in the past, didn’t work out in Fulton’s favor, because the Philadelphian succumbed to the ferocious offense of “The Monster” and fell in an eighth-round stoppage.
However many a first-class boxer has failed to beat Inoue, and previous to that loss, Fulton was undefeated and coming off a collection of wins in opposition to Daniel Roman, Brandon Figueroa and Angelo Leo – the final of which, specifically, appears to be like even higher in gentle of Leo’s spectacular knockout of Luis Alberto Lopez to assert a featherweight belt final month.
So, whereas recognizing {that a} comeback has to start someplace, Fulton (21-1, 8 KOs) is a little bit miffed that he’s not simply on the undercard of Saturday’s tremendous middleweight major occasion between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Edgar Berlanga at T-Cellular Enviornment however buried on it so deeply that he isn’t that includes on the four-fight pay-per-view. As an alternative, he will probably be in certainly one of three fights airing at no cost on Amazon Prime Video earlier than the principle card kicks off. And the usually affable Fulton permits himself a frown as he admits that, sure, he feels a little bit disrespected.
“I’d be mendacity if I stated I didn’t,” he informed BoxingScene on the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Thursday. “That’s simply me being sincere. I went from 4 major occasions to now on the prelims, for my first time ever. It doesn’t make sense. The way you go from 4 headline bouts back-to-back-to-back? By no means was on the prelims, however now, after one loss, you are on the prelim. So, it is prefer it makes you take a look at issues completely different, irrespective of how they are saying they need to rebuild me. It comes off as disrespect.”
He’s eager to level out, nevertheless, that he isn’t carrying a chip round on his shoulder. It’s what it’s, and he is aware of that the best way again to the highest is by profitable, starting with Saturday’s featherweight bout in opposition to Carlos Castro (30-2, 14 KOs).
“I am in area proper now,” he stated. “That is the place I need to preserve it. Once I’m not in area, you may really feel the unfavourable power, and I do not like giving off unfavourable power.”
Nor does he fear that his positioning on the cardboard means he has to exit and show a degree.
“I don’t must show something or do any of that stuff,” he stated. “I simply need to combat, see how I really feel, benefit from the ambiance and revel in being again.”
Kieran Mulvaney has written, broadcast and podcasted about boxing for HBO, Showtime, ESPN and Reuters, amongst different retailers. He additionally writes recurrently for Nationwide Geographic, has written a number of books on the Arctic and Antarctic, and is at his happiest hanging out with wild polar bears. His web site is www.kieranmulvaney.com.
