Pink Panther hoping to Rock Takaloo

Dressed in his pink garb, Dubliner Jim Rock might get a few wolf whistles in Belfast’s Odyssey Arena tomorrow night but he is as hard as they come.

When you have stared down the barrel of a sawn-off shotgun and lived to tell the tale then facing Margate’s Takaloo for the vacant WBU light-middleweight title holds no fear.

Rock, who calls himself the Pink Panther and enters to that famous theme tune from the Peter Sellers’ classic movies, explained: “I was 20 at the time and working in a nightclub as a doorman and I chucked this guy who was the son of some tough people.

“That night I walked to my car in the car park outside the club and three gunmen came along and ordered me out of the car.

“They pointed a shotgun at my stomach and just as they pulled the trigger I grabbed the gun, pushed it downwards and I got shot in both legs – I almost lost my crown jewels.

“But I managed to run off into the club and they let off another shot.

“The blood was flowing from my legs and I could have placed my fist into the wound in my leg, but I was very fortunate because really it ended up just being flesh wounds.

“Two weeks later I was back at the same nightclub and the same guy came along and I chucked him out again.”

It is that determination that Rock believes will drive him to an upset victory over Takaloo, who is bidding to regain the title having vacated last summer to fight WBO champion Daniel Santos in Cardiff only to lose on points.

Rock added: “I’ve dreamed about a big fight like this all my life. I’m not in boxing for the money. I want the glory.

“I want this belt and there’s no way I’m leaving the Odyssey without the belt around my shoulder.

“Takaloo is a good puncher, he’s a better puncher than I am but that’s all.

“I know that I will be stronger, I will be fitter and technically I’ll be better as well.

“It’s going to be a great fight and I know that it won’t be easy but this is my night. This is my chance to show everyone that I belong on this stage, with these top guys.”

But Takaloo is confident that he will cut short Rock’s night in the spotlight as he chases a re-match with Santos.

“This fight isn’t about Jim Rock. It’s about me getting the title back, showing how good I am and then looking to get another shot at Santos,” said Iranian-born Takaloo.

“I know that I can fight better than what I did in the first fight. I got cut early on and that just seemed to wreck my whole game plan.

“I’m very confident that I’ll knock out Rock in the middle or late rounds.

“He hasn’t mixed in my class before and I’m a better fighter since fighting Santos.”

The other title fight on the first professional boxing show in the Odyssey will see local favourite Neil Sinclair bidding for a Lonsdale belt outright when he makes the third defence of his British welterweight championship against Welshman Bradley Pryce.

“To win the Lonsdale belt would be so special for me, it’s something that I have dreamed about and I won’t let Pryce deny me that dream becoming a reality,” said Sinclair.