Conah Walker ready to crack 'horrible' Harry Scarff code and claim British title

The 29-year-old is back in action just two months after outpointing Lewis Ritson over 10 rounds but sees the reduced rest as a help, rather than a hindrance, heading into the biggest fight of his career to date.

Beating the tricky Scarff at Nottingham Arena would confirm his standing as one of the best domestic welterweights and Walker explained how he did not hesitate for a second after being offered the bout six days after beating Ritson.

“It’s been really good, revolutionary actually, starting camp in a good place,” he told the Express & Star.

“It is beneficial for me. I came out of the Ritson fight unscathed. It was a 10-round breeze, if you know what I mean. 

“I had a nice week off to recharge and then straight back into it. That is how I liked it.

“I know I had three fights last year but I had a lot of time off in between, which isn’t always the greatest. 

“You take your foot off the gas, relax a bit and sometimes you relax too much. You end up starting camp at a heavier weight. It becomes more than a boxing camp but a losing weight camp. 

“This time my weight was already down, so we could go straight into the gameplan and strategy, as opposed to getting fit and getting the weight down. We have been working out straight away how we are going to beat him.”

Coming up with a gameplan to beat Derby's Scarff is far from straightforward. The 31-year-old has earned the nickname “Horrible Harry” due to his awkward style and the fact he is only now making the first defence of a Lonsdale belt he won 14 months ago by outpointing Ekow Essuman is indication of how much others have chosen to avoid him.

But Walker, who was happy to sacrifice Christmas for the fifth straight year after accepting the fight, has profited over the last two years through his refusal to duck a challenge. His current run of three wins in four fights began with a stunning knockout of Cyrus Pattinson, while he also beat Lloyd Germain before being edged out, narrowly, by Lewis Crocker in a fight of the year contender.

It is Walker’s positive attitude and all-action style which has brought the backing of Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom promotions.

“People don’t want to take the risk with him (Scarff) because of the style of fighter he is,” he said. 

“But I like to be the man who does take a risk. All I see is a challenge and another string to my bow. 

“I have fought every style possible in my career because I never turn down a fight. It is just another style and I am pretty damn certain I will have him sussed and have the beating of him.

“He might have the ‘horrible’ nickname but he is going to find out I’m a horrible man to be in the ring with. He is going to meet his match. Anything he does, I am going to have an answer for.”

Walker is refusing to discuss anything beyond Saturday’s fight, believing the mistake of looking too far ahead led to a decent yet somewhat unspectacular performance against Ritson.

But there is no doubt a win on Saturday would take his profile to previously unreached levels and open up more opportunities. 

“The only thought in my head is this British and Commonwealth title,” he said. “I am not going to talk about anything after because I think I was guilty of that last time with Ritson. I learned a lesson.

“I felt I won every round of that fight but I was not the best version of myself. I could have done a lot better. This has been a different camp and mindset going into the fight.

“This will be the proudest moment, winning the British title, 100 per cent. This is the Mecca of my boxing career, my world title shot. 

“When I first started boxing, I said if I won a British title I could retire happy. I am not going to retire if I win on Saturday but I would be a very happy man.”