Boxing: Title tilt Berridge goal

Robert "the Butcher" Berridge, wearing a T-shirt in the centre, surrounded by the participants in his training session at the Fight Fit Gym on Sunday evening. Photo/Supplied

While Wanganui-born light-heavyweight Robert Berridge has his sights set on knocking out Aucklander Adrian Taihia in two weeks' time, his handlers have begun the subtle game that goes along with earning a shot at a world champion.

The 29-year-old was back at home running two seminars for local boxers and fitness exponents at Fight Fit Gym on Sunday and Monday, while also getting in some training with his cousin Paul Berridge as the build-up continues to the main event against Taihia (11-2-1) on the "Triple Thriller" card on May 22.

Berridge (23-1-1, 19 knock outs) told the group during a Sunday Q&A session after their workout that his promoters Duco Events had arranged the match-up out of the controversy back in October when Taihia climbed into the ring for a war of words during a television interview after Berridge knocked out Argentina's Mariano Jose Riva.

However, with Taihia's light record, despite being the NZPBA super middleweight title holder, and having been previously knocked out competing in Australia, Berridge wants to put the 31-year-old away so he can look ahead to getting big fights and hopefully earn a world title match in 2015.

"We've got to do it, apparently," he said of Taihia.

While his last two knockout wins over Kiwi Daniel MacKinnon and Australian Kerry Foley came late in the contests, after he absorbed some punishment, Berridge said he would not necessarily hunt for a quick knockout against his smaller opponent this time.

Priding himself on being a "diesel engine" who runs at the same speed while other fighters start quickly then slow down, Berridge said the stoppage will come when it comes.

"I'm happy with whatever, so long as I win.

"I don't care if it happens in the first or the 12th round, the only thing I don't want to happen is to go to points."

His build-up involves dieting and a lot of work on the heavy bags, often with the altitude mask on to improve his conditioning.

Sparring is a rarity because just like potential opponents, they are hard to come by Berridge has had three sessions with a boxer from Tauranga who is paid to spar with him.

Ironically, it is through sparring that Berridge's trainer Cleve Langdon has made initial advances to the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (24-0-1, 22 knockouts).

In March, Berridge was ranked No10 in the world by the WBO, around the same time Kovalev was knocking out American Cedric Agnew (WBO ranked 14th) in his second defence of the title.

Berridge said Langdon let the Kovalev camp know they would gladly come over to help the Florida-based Russian prepare for this next fight.

"Cleve messaged him and said 'we're happy to help you out'.

"On the other hand, if you want to defend your title against us, we'll take that as well."

The 30-year-old Kovalev had an impressive amateur record before turning pro in 2009.

In December last year he lifted the WBO crown by knocking out then-undefeated Welshman Nathan Cleverly in the fourth round of their title match in Cardiff.

Back home, the "Triple Thriller" card is beginning to take shape.

Three members of the sporting Tuigamala family will also be competing former All Black Va'aigaa and his sons Vaise (Bubba) and Jordan while top middleweight Gunnar Jackson has also joined the card at Auckland's Logan Campbell Centre.

Berridge said there are also plans for him to fight on the undercard of the Joseph Parker v Brian Minto bout on July 5.