Stephen Fulton maps out ideal future if he beats Angelo Leo

FanSided caught up with Stephen Fulton before his title fight with WBO junior featherweight champion Angelo Leo. Fulton revealed his perfect 2021. 

In August, Stephen Fulton was ready to fight Angelo Leo for the vacant WBO junior featherweight title, but he tested positive for COVID-19 right before the fight, and his dream was shelved.

Five months later, Fulton is ready for his first world title fight. Fulton (18-0, 8 KOs) passed all of his COVID tests and is hours away from a shot at turning his dream into a reality.

Fulton and Leo have spent the better part of a year preparing to fight each other, and now they get to put their practice to use in the boxing ring. Leo told FanSided that the time to ready for Fulton benefited him. It turns out Fulton feels the extra time will favor him when they fight on Saturday, Jan. 23, on Showtime.

“It makes it an interesting task,” Fulton explained to FanSided. “Honestly, if I have two fighters going against each other that’s undefeated that has a year to prepare for each other, I’m going to be interested in watching that fight. I’m not going to say that’s difficult. I’m going to say that’s going to be an interesting a** fight.”

Fulton and Leo know each other well as boxers, but who will perform the best on fight night? Both are extremely confident and talented boxers.

Leo (20-0, 9 KOs) fought Tramaine Williams in place of Fulton in August and defeated him by unanimous decision to become the WBO junior featherweight champion. Either Leo’s hunger to remain champion or Fulton’s desire to become champion will win the day. Both have strong motivations driving them, but there can only be one winner.

“It [becoming champion] means a lot because I worked my whole career for this,” said Fulton. “To be in this position and obtain a world title.”

Fulton and Leo are both undefeated and have similar numbers in terms of wins and losses. Fulton said his record is more impressive during a press conference because he has beaten seven previously undefeated boxers.

Stephen Fulton and Angelo Leo bring youth, talent, and confidence into the ring, which makes the outcome that much harder to predict

He has also sparred many times with two-division world champion Carl Frampton.

“It helped me as a person as well besides just boxing because I was out in Manchester for about a few weeks,” said Fulton. “I was in camp with him leading up to the Tyler McCreary fight for about three weeks straight in Vegas. I’ve been in multiple camps with Frampton. Any time we spar, we just get together, it’s just a wonderful experience, and I learn a lot. I feel like the things I did learn as far as the pressure and how to maneuver and how to position my head movement in certain places will be a key factor in this fight.”

Fulton’s experience stretches beyond his professional record. Working with a world champion like Frampton is bound to increase a fighter’s I.Q.

Leo’s win over Williams was a big feather in his cap. He told FanSided that he considered Williams to be on a similar level as Fulton. Fulton took exception to that assessment.

“We don’t have similar styles at all,” said Fulton about the comparison to Williams. “That’s like saying every black person look alike.”

Fulton added, “I don’t see it. I have my own style. I kind of understand where he’s going with it, but no.”

Everything points to Leo vs. Fulton being a close competitive battle, but Fulton sees a future where he is the undisputed junior featherweight champion. He mapped out his perfect 2021.

“I see beating this fight come Saturday,” said Fulton assuredly. “I see me earning a lot more fans. Staying in the gym. Coming back around within a few months to face another titleholder as a unification bout, and if not, I can take another fight and then a unification bout. That means I will have to fight like one or two more people for their belt by the end of the year.”

Fulton has lofty goals, but he has faith in his abilities. His mind is set on being an undisputed world champion.

“It’s my primary goal,” said Fulton. “I feel like I have to accomplish that. I’ve said it so much that I will feel incomplete if I don’t accomplish that. I want to be the first one. I don’t want to be the second. It’s not going to be as sweet if I’m not the first because I feel like that’s Hall of Fame status for me.”

Fulton has great potential, but so does Leo. The winner of this fight could have a special future. A definitive win could make one of them an overnight star.

Stephen Fulton challenges Angelo Leo for the WBO junior featherweight title on Saturday, Jan. 23, on Showtime at 9 p.m. ET.