In June, the 29-year-old pushed the bogeyman of the welterweight division, Lewis Crocker, to the absolute limit in one of the best fights of 2024.
The decision may not have gone Walker’s way that night, but after spending his career battling away for recognition and opportunity, Walker’s life has finally changed.
Some signs will have been subtle like nods of acknowledgement or messages from peers. Others are much more tangible.
On November 30th, Walker, 13-3-1 (5 KOs), will box out of the home corner when he fights former European lightweight champion Lewis Ritson on the undercard of the flyweight fight between Sunny Edwards and Galal Yafai. For the first time, Walker has been given a showcase.
Walker has been plugging away for years but has definitely noticed a difference in people’s attitudes since he boxed Crocker.
“Definitely. He’s been at the top. He’s been ranked number two in the UK for a long time now. No one wanted to jump up and take that step or take that chance with him. For me, there was no question,” Walker told BoxingScene.
“They offered me the fight and I accepted. There were no ifs, ors, or maybes. I need to get to number one.
“Me beating him would have put me well in line to be fighting the likes of Conor Benn. I’m a bit peed off that I didn’t get the nod because it would have put me in a very good position, but everyone who’s watched it thought I won, and so did I. In my head, I know where I’m at in terms of my level.”
Some fights jump off the paper when they are made but fall flat once the bell rings to start them. The fight between Walker and Crocker exceeded expectations.
Although the Irishman was awarded a close decision, neither fighter decisively proved themselves the better man. Many felt that Walker had done enough to win. It was the type of fight that ensures the fighters will remain rivals for life.
When Walker and his team sat down and began to plot his next step, they had a big decision to make. The easiest way to remain in the spotlight would have been to cry foul and begin beating the drum for an immediate rematch. Another option would have been to try and make up for lost ground by signing up for another tough, crowd-pleasing night in the away corner.
Instead, they decided that it is time to change the perception of Walker as a happy-go-lucky slugger. At 29, Walker is finally going to box to a plan and be built correctly.
“Oh, if they offered me the rematch, I’d take that rematch, whether anyone told me to or not. That’s down to my decision. But there was no offer there for the rematch,” he said.
“We need to rebuild. Yeah, we thought we won, but it doesn’t take away the fact that on Boxrec I’ve got a loss. So we’ve got to go back, get a good win. Maybe even get a couple of good wins.
“I’d happily go back in there and fight the next bogeyman, but, with Sam Jones (his manager), we can plan a route and push for the big fights to be massive. I want massive nights now. I’ve done the big-ish nights. I want the fucking big draws.”
Walker is a physical, aggressive fighter who manages to impose himself on every opponent he faces. However, he has had his ups and downs. Samuel Antwi and Kane Gardner were able to navigate their way to decision victories over him by being quick-fisted and resolute enough to stick to their own gameplans and only get involved when absolutely necessary.
In Crocker, meanwhile, he found an opponent willing to stand his ground and capable of hurting him.
Rather than being unnerved by the realisation that he had found someone with the same mindset as himself, Walker thrived. He may not have got the decision, but the toughest test of his career produced his best performance.
“It’s like a rollercoaster. You get your peaks and troughs. At some points, you think, ‘Fuck me, I’m spent,’ and then, within the next 10 seconds, you’re full of wind,” he said.
“It’s hard to put into words what it’s like, but it’s just up and down. I fully enjoy a good fight. I like to get stuck in. Mano a mano and see who comes out on top.
“I believe I’m the best welterweight in the division so I’m always going to say that I’m going to come out on top and I always believe I will.
“When you’ve got to go to war, you’ve got to have it in the locker, ain’t you?”
John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X @John_Evans79