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(continuation)
Langford and Sharkey were interviewed together after the verdict.
"This guy already had my admiration and respect," said Langford. "But after that effort, it's only increased. He's got the heart of a lion and I really hope that he can make it through to the second stage."
Langford's words were greeted with warm applause by the audience.
"I knew that I would be in for a tough night," Langford continued. "I prepared for it and I'm glad that I did because, even though Tommy was struggling a little to start with, that fifth round was just a war. He threw everything he had at me and I just thank the Lord that I had the strength to resist it and stay on my feet. I think maybe Joe Goddard's the only one who's come close to testing me like that. I just feel fortunate that I've qualified for the second stage. I'm gonna continue in this tournament into next year and that's a great feeling. I've heard people saying that it's not a big deal, but maybe they would think differently if they'd been through all the training it takes. It's a huge relief to know that it's all paid off."
"It takes a lot of the pressure away," said the Canadian, when asked how the victory will impact his next fight. "I'll step into the ring knowing that the result is not so important. Of course, I want to finish the stage 7-0 but it gives me a chance to experiment, I guess. Try out some different tactics."
"This guy is just incredible," said Sharkey. "If I was a betting man, I'd be putting my money on him to win this whole thing because he has everything needed to go all the way. The height doesn't matter because Sammy has the aggression to compensate for that. He's got the quick hands and the ring smarts to compete with anyone. I felt like I couldn't relax at all, even when I had the upperhand there in the fifth. I knew that Sam could come back at any moment and he did that at the end of the round. I'd love to fight him again someday, but I know that's not possible in the immediate future. I'll just have to settle for cheering him on, I guess."
"That's going to be a huge challenge," Sharkey said of his August 7 bout against Alex Stewart. "You know, it's for all the marbles, as they say. Whoever wins it is gonna join Sammy in stage two so I'll have to train even harder for that fight than I did for this one. I've got a big month ahead of me."
The ring had been cleared out some fifteen minutes later, the crowd also heading for the exits at the conclusion of a fantastic night of boxing. As Sharkey said, his next fight against Alex Stewart will determine who finishes stage one in 2nd place in Group Nine. It promises to be a contest every bit as exciting as tonight's main event...
Group Nine Standings
1st: Sam Langford (Canada) 6-0-0(1)
2nd: Alex Stewart (England) 4-1-1
3rd: Tom Sharkey (Ireland) 3-1-2(2)
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