Welsh boxer Gerome Warburton says facing world champion Carlos Adames will complete his boxing journey as he looks to prove he belongs at the top level.
The 31-year-old will face WBC middleweight champion Adames, 32, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, 14 November, though the world title is not on the line.
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The WBA continental champion is not ranked by the WBC, and will instead face once-beaten Adames at super-middleweight in a non-title main event.
Warburton, from Colwyn Bay, believes he has earned this career-defining shot after years of overcoming the odds on the British scene.
“You’re in there to do a job. Yes, he’s a world champion, but this is my time to show the world that I belong at this level,” Warburton told BBC Sport.
“All of my hard work has got me here. This is a big hurdle to get over, but I’ve been jumping over hurdles my whole career.”
The 5ft 11in (1.8m) former Welsh middleweight champion added: “This is another occasion to prove wrong those people who think I can’t achieve something. I don’t feel any pressure – the pressure is all on him.
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“He’s the WBC champion. He’s the one who has set out to put on a show-stopping performance as world champ. I’m going there to upset the apple cart.”
Headlining Zuffa Boxing’s first show in Saudi Arabia will mark a new high point in a “crazy” rise for Warburton, who never set out to become a world champion.
He faces a quick turnaround, too, having beaten veteran Englishman Nathan Heaney to retain his WBA continental middleweight title on 26 September.
Consecutive victories over former British champion Heaney have given Warburton’s career fresh momentum, exceeding even his own expectations.
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“I never thought that beating Nathan Heaney twice would have gotten me where I am now. I took the risk to face him twice, and it’s brought a reward,” Warburton said.
Initially, Warburton had his eyes on the Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury undercard in Cardiff before landing a fight that he thought was a joke when first informed.
“I was back in the gym training full time and had a phone call from my manager telling me they had asked Zuffa if I could face a certain boxer,” Warburton recalled.
“They came back and said no, but that I could face Carlos Adames. I was taken aback and thought, ‘Are you telling me lies? Is this true?’
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“After a split second, it hit me that I had finally got a good reward for all of my hard work, and then he dropped the news that it wouldn’t be for his WBC title.
“As they say in boxing, things happen quickly. Beat Carlos Adames and I could be on the road for the WBC world title.”
Wales has a rich history of world champion boxers, but none of the 14 men and women who have claimed top honours in the sport hail from north Wales.
Barmouth-born Johnny Williams held the British and Empire heavyweight titles, but he received his boxing education after moving to English town Rugby at age three.
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Warburton now has the chance to become north Wales’ most celebrated boxer, as he prepares to become the first from the region to face a world champion.
“I feel as though I don’t get the recognition for doing that,” he added.
“I’m holding the flag for north Wales. If I could get my hands on a world title, or box for one, it would be a dream come true, and I’d be writing history.”
Warburton, who goes by the moniker ‘The Breadmaker’, will not be joined by family for the trip to Saudi Arabia, but knows they will be watching back home.
While son Roman was present for both fights against Heaney and celebrated in the ring, Warburton prefers to “zone in” when fighting further afield.
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“Unfortunately, I’ve banned all of my family members from going over because I treat boxing like work,” Warburton explained.
“My family come when I fight closer to home, but when I’m away, I like to be on my own with my team. They wouldn’t come to work with me.
“I have to be zoned in, and I know that everyone will be watching from home. One of my friends is coming because he likes to be adventurous.”
Warburton expects the Riyadh crowd to be behind Adames and believes that will play into his hands, as it has done throughout his career.
“I’m used to not having the crowd [behind me] and having them boo me. The two Heaney fights showed that,” he said.
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“I could go into the lion’s den, and it still wouldn’t bother me.”
Beyond the boxing accolades, Warburton knows how much an upset victory over Adames would change his family’s life.
“Win this and everything changes for my family, and I would probably become the mandatory challenger,” he said.
“I’ve got someone in front of me who is at the highest level. To even be in the ring with him means I’ve completed boxing in a way, regardless of what happens.
“I’m a lad from north Wales who only had an ambition of winning a Welsh title. To step in with a world champion is what dreams are made of.”
