Wolverhampton ace Gully Powar out to shine again in Saudi Arabia
Gully Powar has promised not to get lost in the hype as he aims to shine again in Saudi Arabia this Saturday.
The Wolverhampton featherweight is back at Riyadh’s Grand Theater to face Mexico’s Brandon Mosqueda in the last-16 of the WBC Grand Prix.
Powar had never previously boxed outside the Midlands before recording a shock win over America’s Japhethlee Llamido in the opening round of the prestigious last-man standing tournament back in April.
But while the impressive points victory earned the 22-year-old no shortage of plaudits and thousands more followers across the globe, Powar says his only focus is on the task in hand.
He told the Express and Star: “There are a lot more eyes on me now and after Saturday, there will be even more.
“My ranking has been going up. It has been good but I am not too fussed about what is going on outside the ring.
“I don’t really focus on who is watching me, even though I have been getting millions of hits on my videos. The way I see it, I need to focus on what I am doing.
“I believe there is a lot more to come and then, there will be even more eyes on me. It is just part of the process.”
Powar’s preparations further emphasise the fact he is no tourist. He and his team, led by long-time coach Richard Carter from Wolverhampton ABC, only flew out to the Middle East on Wednesday evening and will return immediately after the bout on Sunday.
They believe that will give them enough time to acclimatise for the challenge of facing Mosqueda, who has won all nine of his professional bouts inside the distance. Not that Powar is fazed by his opponent’s record.
“He is a power puncher. He’s had nine fights and nine knockouts,” he said. “But I don’t think he has faced anyone on my level.
“I’ve studied him. We know what we are going to do. We have a gameplan and we are going to get the win.
“I am not really fussed about the surroundings. The job is with my fist.
“Saudi Arabia is a nice country with very welcoming people. I really enjoyed it there the first time.
“But we will do the same thing again. Get there, get the win, come home.”
Powar has sparred some of the best around in training camp, stepping into the ring with Olympic gold medallist Galal Yafai and English super-bantamweight champion Nyall Berry, both known for their power.
Sessions have been longer and tougher as he aims to make the most of the huge opportunity the Grand Prix represents, with the overall tournament winner in line to receive £150,000 in prize and a shot at the WBC silver world title.
“It is an opportunity for me to showcase my skills on the global stage,” he says. “I had so many fights lined up before which fell through.
“So when we heard about the Grand Prix, we took the gamble. So far it has been going great and come Saturday night, it will be even greater.”
