Plymouth boxing champion Constantin Ursu believes his welterweight title defence against Ben Vaughan on Saturday could be the fight which ‘changes everything’ for him – as he will be putting his skills on show in front of a capacity crowd at the O2 Arena.
Ursu became Plymouth’s first British boxing champion in 20 years when he beat Owen Cooper in February – despite later revealing he had not fully recovered from a torn bicep.
Now fully fit, Ursu believes he could create another highlight reel when he faces challenger Vaughan on the undercard of the Moses Itauma versus Filip Hrgovic heavyweight showdown.
With a capacity crowd of up to 20,000 likely – and countless more watching on television – Ursu said this could be the fight which finally catapults him on to the national if not global stage.
In an exclusive interview with The Herald, Ursu said: “I think this is a big event and after this I think I can go anywhere – some people will see me and think ‘ooh’.
“I think it’s a big opportunity for me to show my skills, but we will see. You can’t read the future, but I think my life will change after this one.
“I didn’t feel like my life really changed after my last fight, but I feel like after this one, everything will change.”
He continued: “I think it will be 15,000-20,000 people there; it’s a big opportunity for me, but I think it’s just the beginning.
“Of course it’s a big event because it’s a part of history, and I am very proud to be part of history – it’s very good for me.
“I will smash this guy up and move on, but it’s good – it will bring me new fans, and people will see it and think ‘who is this guy?’.
“For me it’s very good and I am very happy with what God has given me.”
Ursu completed a four-week training camp in Thailand last week, before flying back to the UK ahead of the weekend’s show in London.
The contacts of his trainer Marlee Dann means he has had some quality sparring partners to fully test out his fitness – and his previously injured bicep.
He said: “It’s been good. We have done a few of these [training camps], as Marlee has contacts – we know many people here.
“I feel like I am punching nearly the same as back in the day, but we will have to see about how it is in a real fight, as it will be under more stress – but I think I am 100% back.
“My power is back and my hand feels 100% normal – I think it’s all good.”
He believes some people doubted his power after he went the full 12 rounds against Ryan Amos at York Hall, and then Cooper at the Vaillant Arena in Derby.
While he won both of those, they were on points rather than the spectacular stoppages which he had recorded prior to his injury.
He explained: “I stopped two people – Eithan James and Lewis Booth – and after I did a 12-round fight and another 12-round fight [with the injury].
“But [the doubts] are good for us because we can let other people think things, but the reality will be painful.
“We really worked hard last year because we had to work around my injury – I couldn’t use as many shots as normal, and in fights I felt awkward; there were shots I wanted to throw but couldn’t.
“But now it’s beautiful because I can punch hard; I punch bags very hard, I can punch people hard.
“People don’t realise, but I won the British title with one-and-a-half hands.”
It is almost seven years since Ursu made his debut at Plymouth Guildhall – he outpointed Artur Davydenko over a meagre four rounds – and the ‘Moldovan Monster’ is also modest in his assessment of his career so far.
He said: “It feels like a long way, but sometimes I don’t realise how it has happened, because now I am getting paid for my fights – sometimes I feel like ‘is this really my money?’.
“It feels like they have given me money, but for what?
“But I can change my life, and my family’s life, and the life of many people in the gym – it’s good.
“So I will use this opportunity for the good of me and my mates.”
He also said his family, still in Moldova, have benefited from his life-changing journey, despite some initial reticence.
“I think [my family] are happier now; when I first moved to Plymouth my mum rang me and said ‘come back, please come back’.
“She never believed that I would make good money from boxing, she told me that I needed to find a job or start a business, and think about my future.
“She said ‘what is boxing going to give to you?’ – but they don’t realise that boxing would give me everything that I have aimed for.
“It’s not even about money or being famous, it’s about completing my goal from when I am a kid.
“We are only living one life, so why shouldn’t you do what you want to do?
“Even if I had failed, and not won the British title, or win anything, then I have been doing what I want to do and nobody has the right to tell me what I should be doing with my life.”
While he is never afraid of showing confidence, Ursu also shows glimpses of pure humility, saying he likes to think he is ‘not bad’ at boxing.
“I am happy because I have had success – it’s good. I am not a bad boxer!”
He added: “This is what makes me happy because I feel like I am not being delusional; I am not bad.
“Some people want to fight with me and think they have a chance, but this is worse.”
Although he has been in Thailand for the last month on training camp, Ursu also said he is settled and happy in Plymouth, and speaks highly of his adopted hometown.
“Plymouth is my home,” he said. “I am settled in Plymouth, I just have four weeks in Thailand for a training camp.
“But it’s been good because we have had good sparring partners waiting here for us, and if I didn’t have that in Thailand then we would have stayed in Plymouth.
“But Plymouth is beautiful, and this summer has been like ‘wow’ – it’s been a beautiful summer in Plymouth and I’ve really enjoyed it.
“I felt like I don’t need Greece, I don’t need Cyprus, I don’t need Spain, I don’t even need Thailand when things have been so nice in Plymouth.
“We have the best food, the best views, Plymouth is very beautiful in the summer; I’ve stayed all summer.”
Now, though, Ursu is focused on doing what he does best when he steps into the ring against Vaughan.
Vaughan’s friendship with Eithan James – who was counted out when he faced Ursu last year – suggests he could have a grudge to bear this weekend.
Ursu said “Even after I chinned his mate [Eithan James]; I think he [Vaughan] will try.
“He is an attacking fighter, and I think he will try.
“Bravery won’t win you the fight, and he is brave, but maybe that will count against him. It could cause him problems.”
He added: “He [Vaughan] is a good fighter; he is strong and has won some good fights.
“I don’t think he is my level, but I don’t want to underestimate him.
“But I think I will catch him; he will open himself up and make a mistake, maybe because I stopped his friend.
“Maybe it will play in his mind that he doesn’t want me to catch him – but I will catch him worse.”
