THOMAS ESSOMBA is a man on a mission. Having suffered six defeats, very few would have given him a chance of winning a significant title in his career, but last May in Italy he did just that. Ahead of his first title defence on Friday (February 9), the Sheffield-based Cameroonian spoke to Boxing News.
Interview by Shaun Brown
BN: On Friday night you make the first defence of your European bantamweight title against 2016 Olympian Ellie Konki. What do you know about him?
TE: I watched a copy of a video of him, and I know that he’s a good boxer. He’s someone we have to take very seriously.
BN: When you won the title last May in Italy against Alessio Lorusso how did it feel to hear the words, “And the new…”?
TE: It felt great. When I went to Italy to fight as the away fighter, I remember thinking to myself I just need to box, stay focused and work very hard to win the European title. And I did. I was very focused on the fight and my job. It felt great to become European champion.
BN: Having had six defeats in your career already, did you always believe something as big as winning a European title was going to happen for you?
TE: After the loss to Marcel, I said to my missus, “I think I have to give up boxing because I’m not sure I’m going to have an opportunity again,” because at the time the British title was my goal. But I didn’t win the eliminator to fight for the British, so I said to my missus, “It’s better for me to give up,” and she said to me, “Don’t think about that. Just calm down, we’ll go home and think about it later.” A couple of weeks later Sunny Edwards, who is one of my managers, called me and said, “Thomas, you’ve been offered a fight for the European title. It’s a good opportunity for you.” I didn’t need to think twice; I agreed straight away. That’s what happened. I travelled to Italy because I knew it could be my last chance. I had to win the title to have the opportunity to keep fighting. In my situation it was difficult for me to get a fight. I did the job in Italy, and I got the win.
BN: If you had quit boxing after the loss to Braithwaite, what would you have done with your life?
TE: I wouldn’t have had any regrets. I believe in God, and I believe everything happens for some reason. If it was my last fight, I would have been thankful for what boxing gave to me and the opportunities it gave me. Maybe something else would have happened or maybe it would have been my life to look after my family. In boxing you’re looking to get a better life to look after your family.
BN: Has life been any different for you since you became a European champion?
TE: It’s a good feeling. It’s a big achievement for me because of where I came from and to become European champion is a big achievement. I don’t want to say my life necessarily changed but I can say I’m the first Cameroonian guy to become European champion so my name is now part of the list of European champions. So, for me, it is a big achievement. Everything else will come in its own time.
BN: How did your family in Cameroon react?
TE: My mum, my sister, my brother, all of them were happy. It’s a big thing because of where I came from. It was a long journey. No promoter, no help and to become European champion, I think, is a big thing. I believe that I can have more success if I keep getting the opportunities. It’s the only thing I need. You cannot become world champion, for example, if you do not have help. You need someone to help you or a promoter to offer you fights constantly. I want to fight the best; I want to fight all the time and be busy. If you have the possibility to fight all the time, I believe I will become a world champion.
BN: Have you thought about avenging any of your losses?
TE: It’s a question you would have to ask the people that beat me. Out of all my losses in the UK I really believe the only one I ever did lose was to Sunny Edwards. All of the other losses were fights I believe I won. With the Lee McGregor fight, I believe the stoppage was not a proper stoppage. I was doing well from beginning to end. I asked Lee for a rematch, and he never wanted a rematch. I asked Tommy Ward, who I drew with, for a rematch. No-one wanted a rematch. I’m ready to give all of them a rematch at whatever level I am. If there’s good money on the table, I will give a rematch no problem.
BN: What are your ambitions now then?
TE: This fight is very important for me. Ellie Konki is someone I have to take very seriously. I cannot jump before passing him. I would like to finish him first, win that fight, and then I believe my team and people around me have a good plan for the future. Konki is all I think about right now.
BN: Given the career you’ve had, where you’ve come from, the defeats you’ve experienced, have you taken an opportunity to sit down and think about it all?
TE: I always think about it. You can’t do something if you don’t think. You have to look at where you’ve come from and what you are doing with your life and what is happening with your life. It helps you know who you are. For me, I know where I want to go. What I have to do right now is stay focused because I know I don’t have too much time left in boxing. But the small time I have is time for me to do what I have to do because I believe everyone in this world has something they have to achieve. I think I am on a mission and my intention is to achieve what God has sent me to do in this world. Whatever difficulties I have in my life I have to achieve it. Nobody will stop me. I have losses, I have wins, I have a good life, I had a bad life, all of it made me who I am today.
