Archie Sharp is looking to land a title shot against Anthony Cacace.
29-year-old Sharp is a serious junior lightweight contender who has spent a few years struggling against inactivity. But he managed to battle past Reuquen Arce recently to keep himself in the spotlight.
Few expected Sharp to be dropped by the Argentine but he was sent to the canvas and had to fight back to earn the win.
Speaking to BoxingScene , he thinks the experience has helped him.
He recalled: “When people were telling me after the fight that this could be the best thing that’s happened to me, I was like, ‘What’s great about being pennied in the first round? There’s nothing great about that.’ But it’s experience. You don’t switch off no matter who you’ve got in front of you.”
Many expect Sharp to come up against Ryan Garner next, on July 27 on the Joe Joyce vs. Derek Chisora undercard.
“If that happens, it’s a great fight,” he said. “At the end of the day, I just wanna be in big fights where the titles are to get back to where I need to be – that No. 1 spot. I need that for you to see the best Archie Sharp. Those little eight-rounders against people you should be beating, they’re the most dangerous for slip-ups because you don’t get yourself hungry for it. My best fights were with Deco [Geraghty] or Lyon Woodstock, when the pressure is on. That’s when you see the best Archie Sharp.”
Looking ahead, he knows who he wants next if possible: Cacace, who defeated Joe Cordina for the IBF belt in May.
He said: “I believe in my ability and I believe I’m the best. I was hoping to fight [Anthony] Cacace – I’m not gonna lie – after that. It would have been brilliant to share the ring with him now that he’s come back with another belt. Fair play to Cacace, what a great performance that was.
“He’s a great fighter. He’s been around a long time and he’s a few years older than us, so I've seen him and he’s a great fighter.
“Now I’m back with the team [Queensberry], I feel like I’m in a great position. It would have been nice if it had materialised for July 27, but I hear him saying now that he’s got other fights, a mandatory, and there’s politics behind that as well.”
Live on DAZN: Watch Collazo vs. Zapata live June 7. Click here for details .