Brian Rose Aiming to Rock Blackpool When He Takes on Carson Jones

There is nothing Brian Rose would love more on Valentine’s Day this year than another win on his record.

The light middleweight (26-2-1, 8 KOs) will have home advantage when he takes on Carson Jones (36-10-3, 26 KOs) at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool on Feb. 14.

The vacant WBC International title will be on the line. More importantly for Rose, so is his career.

It is a fight that he admits he cannot afford to lose: “My aim is to become a world champion. If I get beaten along the way, and I know I won’t, then I know it is over.”

A failed challenge for the WBO world belt last year has left The Lion hungry for success.

There was no shame in losing to reigning champion Demetrius Andrade. The American has beaten all 21 opponents he has faced so far.

However, what irks Rose is that he did not perform to the best of his abilities.

He admits that he was caught like a “rabbit in the headlights” on that June night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

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I hold my hands up—he was the better man. But, the regret I do have is that it wasn’t me in the ring that night. Whether it could have changed the result is a different story, but I just stiffened up.

I always thought that it was a bit of a myth when fighters said they froze in the ring. I thought they used it as a bit of an excuse. Now, though, I understand.

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But, rather than be deterred by the setback, Rose has instead been inspired.

Scott Heavey/Getty Images

He returned to the ring last October in Leeds, recording a routine first-round stoppage over Ignacio Lucero Fraga.

The 29-year-old expects a much sterner test against Jones.

The American is perhaps better known in Britain than he is in his own country, having given reigning IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook a major scare back in 2012.

Jones may have lost the rematch to Brook a year later, but Rose—who has the benefit of being a regular performer at the weight—is anticipating a tough night.

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There’s no doubt he’s a good fighter. He’s strong, he likes to come forward and dig a bit.

He is moving up a weight, which could be a telling factor. I’m quite a big light middleweight myself, so I don’t think he’s going to bully me around the ring like most of the welterweights he has fought.

I can’t wait. I’ve done everything right for this camp—I would say it is the best camp I’ve ever had. I just keep getting stronger and stronger.

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Rose also has the added boost of facing Jones in his own back yard.

Originally the bout had been due to take place in Manchester in January, but that bill had to be called off because Anthony Crolla—who was due to fight for a world title—was badly injured after confronting burglars.

Now Rose is boxing in Blackpool instead, and he is determined to make sure his dreams of another world-title tilt are not buried at the seaside resort.

All he really wants is a chance at redemption, adding: “When I get back to world level, all I want to deliver is a great performance. If I don’t win, if I fall short, then at least I come out of it with no regrets.”

Rob Lancaster is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations in this article were obtained via interview.