By Tim Rickson

Maidstone’s Sam Noakes expects the toughest fight of his career on Saturday.

Noakes, 27, makes the first defence of his British lightweight title he won against Lewis Sylvester in February when he takes on Cromer’s Ryan Walsh at Wembley Arena, live on TNT Sports. Brother Sean is fighting on the same bill.

Walsh, 38, has real pedigree and reigned as British featherweight champion for almost six years between 2016-2021.

He defeated the highly-regarded Reece Mould in the first round of their September fight in Sheffield, landing a crunching right hook to the temple that took favourite’s legs away from him. It was a quick, crushing, clinical finish to land him the British title shot at the weight above where he used to reign - and Noakes was impressed.

“[It was a] brilliant win,” he told Queensberry Promotions’ Dev Sahni.

“I’m not going to fault it. I’m not going to say he caught him cold or a lucky shot, it’s boxing isn’t it, he’s obviously aimed to throw that shot but maybe Reece Mould overlooked [him].

“Obviously, that win there has made me think I’m not going to do the same, I’m going in there level-headed and I know it’s going to be the toughest fight of my career, without a doubt.

“He’s very durable, he’s got a lot of experience, he’s confident, so he’s coming to win and it’s going to make for a good fight.

“It’s going to bring out the best in both of us. It’s just business as usual. I know I can’t slip up because the man’s up for it, but that only brings out the best in me because I know I have to be alert for the full 12 rounds.”

Noakes has knocked out all but one of his 15 opponents, and that was the teak-tough Frenchman Yvan Mendy, who hasn’t been stopped in 57 fights. Walsh, meanwhile, hasn’t been stopped in 35 bouts, so when asked if he can see this contest also going the distance, Noakes answered, “If I’m being brutally honest with you, I probably do.

“He hasn’t got quit in him and has never been stopped. He’s been in there with a lot of good people. I just think it’s my time and I’m going to give it absolutely everything I’ve got.”