Les Sherrington – “I want Jarrod Fletcher”

 
REMEMBER where you heard it.

 
Les “Lock n Load” Sherrington (34-7, 19 KOs) has broken the news first in an exclusive interview with Aus-Boxing.

 
In this wide ranging interview with the Townsville native, Sherrington elaborates on the fact he and his team have just been offered a fight with recent world title challenger and fellow Australian, Jarrod Fletcher (18-2, 10 KOs).

 
With the contract details yet to be finalised, Sherrington reports the fight has been in the works for a little while. The world ranked middleweight contender also touches on his fight with IBF world champ, Sam Soliman and his background in the sport of boxing.

 
Les Sherrington is a gentleman. A quiet and respectful character who is renowned for his work ethic and his personable character among the Australian boxing fraternity. Which probably makes this next piece of news a little difficult for him to get his head around. Sherrington has just informed this author that he has been offered a fight later this year by former sparring partner and friend, Jarrod “Left Jab” Fletcher.

 
It is a fight that Sherrington and his team have been waiting for, and as he explains it is another challenge in his career he is looking forward to.

 
“Mate that fight has been talked about for a while now. That fight was going to happen previously, but just hasn’t for whatever reason. It looks more than likely that it’s happening, we got the fight offered to us the other day, I’ve agreed on all the terms subject to a few things,” said Sherrington. “I think it’s a fight that is great for Queensland and Australian boxing in general. I am ready to sign the contract today if possible, I’m good to go.”

 
“We (Sherrington and Fletcher) have done hundreds of rounds of sparring, we are good friends as well. With all that aside, this is boxing and this is a business, and I think it will be a great fight.”

 
Sherrington is out to redeem himself, make no mistake. He has had a comeback fight against Japan’s Shigetaka Yonezawa back in June of this year and cruised to an almost shutout decision victory. One feels it is this fight with Fletcher where he again gets to test himself against a world class fighter.

 
His performance against now IBF middleweight champion, Sam Soliman back in December of last year was by his own admission a poor performance and one where he failed to step up against world class opposition.

 
“Obviously you saw the fight and seen what happened, I still find it very hard to come to terms with my performance against Sam. I just felt in that fight, I just froze and pretty much crapped myself, just froze on the big occasion, the big stage. It was the biggest fight of my life, and I just didn’t throw punches and against Sam Soliman you need to throw punches,” he continued.

 
“My best form of defence is my offence, and not throwing anything didn’t help my cause. I have obviously learnt some massive lessons from that fight and it won’t happen again.”

 
Sherrington recalls fondly his first foray into the square circle as an amateur and says that boxing hasn’t always been his first career choice.

 
“Back in the day, I played a lot of Rugby League and hoped to play Rugby League professionally, but that wasn’t to be. My parents split up when I was very young and I found my father when I was fifteen years old and he was an ex-boxer,” Sherrington recalls. “So upon going to the gym with him, I put my first pair of gloves on and fell in love with the sport. I had my first amateur fight when I was eighteen and the rest is history.”

 
Les Sherrington is a very determined and focused individual. I sense from my chat with him he is desperate at another crack at the top level, and a man who is hell bent on righting the wrongs of his defeat to Sam Soliman.

 
With obvious terms still to be negotiated for this fight to happen the question is – what will you say Jarrod Fletcher?

 
 
Words: Dan Smart
Photo: Aus-Boxing