Moray boxer Fraser Wilkinson hopes his stunning victory at Manchester’s AO Arena against home hero William Crolla will ignite his professional career
It was everything he dreamed of as a child.
Fraser Wilkinson’s sensational super welterweight victory over a previously undefeated brother of a world champion was the moment the 24-year-old boxer had been waiting for.
On the undercard for Jack Catterall’s big title fight against Harlem Eubank in a packed Manchester Arena, he was expected to become rising home talent William Crolla’s latest victim.
Crolla, brother of former world lightweight champion Anthony, has won his first eight professional bouts, knocking him opponent out in six of them.
But the Mancunian ended up being the man on the canvas, floored by a fifth round combination from Wilkinson, who finished the job in round six with another unstoppable flurry of punches to silence an estimated 16,000 home crowd.
“I walked the ring on Saturday night getting booed, and I left with people taking pictures of me - and that was Crolla's own fans,” said the triumphant fighter, a product of Elgin Amateur Boxing Club.
“It was everything I dreamt of as a kid. I’ve pictured boxing at this level for so much of my life, so words can’t describe the feeling of going down there and winning on a night like that.
“It's going to take a lot to top that in my career. I was the B-side, completely underrated, I wasn't going to do anything - I was written off.”
Wilkinson hopes his incredible win can be a launch pad for his career.
His immediate target is to become a three-weight Scottish champion - he has already won national titles at super welterweight and middleweight and hopes for a shot at the welterweight crown later this year.
Longer term, ‘Wilko’ believes his Manchester victory will open doors and attract the attention of bigger promoters in the future.
Landing a slot on the bill of top British promoter Eddie Hearn and his Matchroom team on Saturday was a huge opportunity which he grabbed with both hands, and some of boxing’s big names have already taken notice.
Wilkinson said he was contacted by the likes of Scotland’s former world super featherweight champ Alex Arthur and current British heavyweight star Dave Allen to praise his performance.
The fight was screened live on DAZN and t6wo former world champions on the commentary team, Barry Jones and Darren Barker lavished praise on the Moray men for his shock success.
Plaudits also came on social media from ex-Premier League footballer turned British champion boxer Curtis Woodhouse, who said: “The star of the show last night for me was Fraser Wilkinson.
“That’s the first time I’ve seen him or even heard of him and he put on a fantastic display of boxing and banging, lovely angles and composure as well. Somebody should snap him up.”
Wilkinson believes he deserves to be snapped up, as he handled the pressure of his biggest boxing night perfectly - yet he was critical of his own performance.
“It was a bit of a weird one, as that was probably the least nervous I've ever been for a fight in my life.
“Fighting in front of a massive crowd, I had pictured that in my head a million times. So when I got in there, it was just second nature.
“But to be honest, I watched the fight back, and that was a C, B-class performance at best for me. I was still making mistakes.
“I was taking a couple of shots here and there when I shouldn't have. That was definitely not the best I've got to offer. It sure as hell isn't the best I've seen myself.
“William Crolla was probably training full-time, in and out of the gym three times a day. I've still got other priorities. I've still got to work, just so I can be living in Aberdeen, so I can train to box.
“So, my ceiling's endless just now. I'm young, I'm 24. My prime's not going to be for another four years, really.”
The Moray fighter jetted out this week for a well-deserved holiday where he plans to fully relax and rest up, on the advice of his coaches at Northern Sporting Club, David and Matty McAllister.
As for a shot at a third Scottish title at welterweight? “Yeah, I'm thinking it could be the plan, maybe for this year. I’m not looking too far ahead though.
“I think my performance at the weekend does deserve me some sort of contract with a bigger promotion. I would like to have a couple of conversations regarding that.
“I think I've got a lot of ability to be able to spur a promotion to capitalise on, and build me up to be a really great fighter.”
With a partisan home crowd roaring Crolla on, the underdog took the occasion in his stride and dominated from start to finish.
“I was just more focused on winning the rounds than what round it was. When we got back to the changing room, I had to ask what round was it that I finished it in. I was such a flow state of just winning the rounds and not caring what was next.
“After I put him down in the fifth I got a row from David (coach McAllister). He was like ‘you spoilt that, you could have had him out of there’.
“He said ‘you've only stopped a couple of boys, you've not really experienced that’. I should have taken my time, and when I did finally stop him, I hit him a good one, I take a moment, I walk myself in and I let the shots go.”
With it being an eight-round bout, Wilkinson would have been well on course for a points victory but said he felt fresh enough to go and finish the job.
“He was still dazed, and I hit him a good one, and I still had a minute and a half of the round to go, yet I felt I still had five, six rounds left in me.
“To be honest, I couldn't be more proud of myself, because I've got no one else to thank for it apart from my coaches, and obviously my sponsors,
“I was the one that turned up, and I'm the one that's dug in. I’ve taken the losses, and I've come back, and I've done what needed to be done.
“I'm really proud of myself.”