Billi Godoy says he’ll draw on his wins over Jorge Sebastien Heiland and Carlos Baldomir as he challenges John Ryder for the WBO Inter-Continental Middleweight title at The O2 on January 31, live on Sky Sports.
The Argentine is looking to upset Ryder’s plans of bursting into the top ten of the WBO rankings and charging to a title shot this year, and the visitor believes beating former World champion Baldomir and fellow countryman Heiland proves he has the class to defeat the Islington favourite.
“I am in good shape for this fight because I’ve had some good wins,” said Godoy. “I had a high ranking when I beat Carlos Baldomir and Heiland. I have belief that if I win on Saturday I’ll be up there in the rankings again.
“I was already training for a fight in Argentina but they called me to fight over in England for a title, which interested me. So we accepted the fight. I know John is a southpaw, he has good technique and he’s a good boxer so I’ll have to be very intelligent in the way that I fight him.
“Fights are fights. I always respect my rivals. I have my experience and a lot of confidence. I’m sure it’s going to be a great fight, I’m going to win as I always do.
“It was a very strange sensation being in the ring with Baldomir who was like an idol to me. He’s fought the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Arturo Gatti and Zab Judah so I never thought I’d be facing him in the ring in my life! Anyway, I had to fight him, he was my rival and I had to treat him as such.
Godoy is no stranger to fighting in Europe after spending a lot of his early career in Austria and Germany after a chance meeting.
“I went to Austria just for a holiday where I then met a businessman, we got on well, he was involved in boxing and he liked how I fought so he offered me a chance to stay in Austria,” said Godoy. “I won four fights, I then went to live in Hamburg working with Universum Boxing. I was in Europe for nearly three years. It was a very good experience. My Dad took Aldo Nazareno Ríos to England to fight Ricky Hatton and then also to fight Jason Cook, but this is my first time in England.”
Godoy’s clash with Ryder is part of a great line-up in London as as Kevin Mitchell faces Daniel Estrada for the vacant WBC Silver Lightweight title and an eliminator for the World title.
There’s a tasty pair of Light Welterweight bouts as John Wayne Hibbert and Tyler Goodjohn meet for Hibbert’s WBC International strap and Tommy Martin and Ricky Boylan square up for the vacant English title.
Team GB star Charlie Edwards makes his hotly anticipated pro debut on the bill, as does Cruiserweight Isaac Chamberlain, as Ohara Davies, Ben Hall and Lee Markham make their first appearances in 2015.
Only £40, £60 and £100 tickets are available for the show at www.theO2.co.uk and on 0844 856 0202.
