James 'Jazza' Dickens is hoping it will be a case of third time lucky as he prepares to take on Lerato Dlamini for the vacant IBO world featherweight title this weekend.
Dickens was a national champion as an amateur but turned to the paid ranks in 2011 and has held the British and English super-bantamweight titles. However, when it comes to world titles, the 31-year-old has been left heartbroken on two separate occasions, after losing to Cuban great Guillermo Rigondeux and Kid Galahad, for the world super-bantam and featherweight crowns respectively.
Now Dickens faces the dangerous Dlamini at the Eventim Olympia on Saturday night, as part of a Probellum show that includes Peter McGrail’s hardest fight to date. Liverpool favourite Dickens knows there is no easy route back to the top of the division after last year’s world title attempt and the fight with Dlamini (18-1, 10KOs) comes on the back of April’s clash with former European champion Andoni Gago.
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