The city of Manchester has produced some big-name fighters who have gone all the way to the top. Ricky Hatton, Tyson Fury and Michael Bisping have all been embraced by the city as they have reached the pinnacle of their respective sports and captured major titles for themselves, for the U.K., and for Manchester, itself. Now the city has another gritty warrior to throw its weight behind.
Cage Warriors bantamweight champion [autotag]Jack Cartwright[/autotag] trains under the railway arches at the city’s SBG Manchester gym and has developed into one of the most dangerous bantamweights in Europe. Now he’s all set to take center stage in his hometown when Europe’s leading regional promotion heads to Manchester for Cage Warriors 112.
Cartwright takes on Manuel Bilic in the main event at the BEC Arena on March 7, when he puts his newly-won bantamweight title on the line, and the home-grown Mancunian says he’s ready to deliver on home soil.
That status was cemented when he exploded into the one-night Cage Warriors bantamweight title tournament, as he starched two former title challengers en route to the title at Cage Warriors Unplugged 2 in September 2019.
But while his knockout power was on show in London that night, his ability to submit his opponents is equally strong, with his overall record showing four submissions and three knockouts. The Brit said that his wrestling base has proved crucial in his rise but says he now prefers to use that skillset to set up his hands, as he did to such impressive effect in the tournament
“I’m a wrestler, first and foremost,” he said. “I grew up wrestling, so I kind of lean on that to not really be bothered by my opponent’s wrestling and rely on my own strength. So I just believe in my wrestling and let my hands go from there.
“Like you saw in my last fight, if somebody gets on my hips, I’m more than capable of getting them off my hips, get back up, and put someone out standing up. That’s what everyone likes the most, isn’t it? Everyone likes a striker, so I’d rather be a fan favorite than a boring little crotch hugger.”
That desire to be an entertaining fighter comes from his respect from the aforementioned trio of Mancunian stars. Hatton, Bisping and Fury each had their own style, but their grounded personalities, combined with their love for a good old-fashioned tear-up, made them heroes in Manchester. Now Cartwright wants to follow in their footsteps.
“Growing up, I was a big Ricky Hatton fan,” he remembered. “I can remember staying up and watching him when he fought Kostya Tszyu, and when he came back and fought Juan Lazcano at the Etihad, I went and watched that. Obviously I like Bisping, but I’ve never gone to see him live. I’ve never been to a UFC event yet, so I’m still waiting for that one.”
A self-described “martial arts lifer,” Cartwright started kickboxing at 5, wrestling at 8, boxing at 13 and MMA at 18. He was never interested in any other sports, and that focus has helped him build his skillset, turn pro and win his way to the Cage Warriors bantamweight championship, when he defeated two former title challengers in one night to capture the vacant title in London.
Now he puts his title on the line for the first time, and he does so in his backyard. It’s a dream come true for the modest Mancunian, but one that he always believed would come true.
“Yeah, I’m buzzing that I get to fight in Manchester,” he said. “If you’d have asked me a year ago that it would have happened this soon, well, I would have believed you, because I always believe in myself. But I thought I was going to take a lot longer than it has done.
“But there’s no extra pressure with it being in Manchester. It could be in Manchester, in London, in Vegas. It can be anywhere. I’ll always turn up and I’ll always put a show on.”