PHILADELPHIA, PA — Stephen “Scooter” Fulton openly wonders what more he has to do. The former WBO and WBC junior featherweight titlist feels he deserves to be on the pay-per-view portion of this Saturday’s Canelo Alvarez- Edgar Berlanga undercard from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The frustration has caused Fulton to be uncharacteristically short with media. It’s tarnished a winning, jovial personality and made him a little surly.

Maybe it is exactly what Fulton (21-1, 8 knockouts) needs when he takes on Carlos Castro (30-2, 14 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight fight on the preliminary, pre-PPV portion of the Alvarez-Berlanga card. It will mark the first time in 14 months Fulton will be fighting since his first pro loss, an eighth-round knockout to junior featherweight world champion Naoya Inoue last July 25 in Tokyo.

“You know I am angry, angry at myself for not being more prepared, not being the best version of me in the Inoue fight,” Fulton admitted in July when talking to The Ring at a club show in Philly. “I am not saying I would have beaten Inoue, or he would have beaten me, but the best version of me was better than how I performed. That’s what pisses me off. I had to take a look at myself. I learned a lot about myself, things I need to sharpen about myself professionally and personally. I don’t want to dwell too much on the past. But I am different.

“Expect me to look different.”

Inoue may be the only fighter in the world who could beat Fulton between 122 and 126.

But Fulton does not want to hear that.

He has changed trainers, moving from trainer/manager Wahid Rahim to trainer Bozy Ennis, the father, manager and trainer of his son, IBF welterweight titlist Jaron “Boots” Ennis, although Rahim has continued to be Fulton’s manager. Fulton stressed a change had to be made. Both believe it was in the best interest for each of them.

Being off the PPV, the Castro fight offers the opportunity for Fulton to be viewed potentially by the largest TV audience he had ever fought before.

“From a business aspect, Scooter is in amazing position right now,” Rahim said. “He is one fight away from fighting for another world title. He does have a chance to fight before a large audience. This is a mental test for him. Scooter is a former world champion, recognized throughout the world by boxing fans. He was in the starting five, and to him right now, being off the pay-per-view, this is like he has to come off the bench again. People must understand something: This kid has been handed nothing. Al Haymon and PBC have been very good to him, don’t get me wrong.

“But Scooter had to earn his way to the top. Personally, I don’t feel like he is coming off the bench. It is just a matter of him proving himself again. I respect Bozy 100-percent. I did not want Scooter to take the Inoue fight, because Scooter was the champion, and the champion should not have to travel to defend his title. But Scooter is a special fighter. He is willing to anyone anywhere, so he went. We agreed the training thing was not working with us. We were friends before we were working together, and I love him. We will always be friends. I still handle his business. With Bozy on board, this is actually a benefit to our whole team. This took time off my plate as his trainer and gives me more time to work on his business and his future.”

But why has Fulton been so angry recently?

Anyone that knows Fulton also knows that is not really his persona. He has been short with media (who don’t know him), he has given short answers to questions and has projected an attitude that he does want to be bothered. In other words, the complete opposite of Fulton’s upbeat personality.

“I understand that, and we do know, that is not who he is,” Rahim said about Fulton. “The reality is, which he is very right about, he has put so much work into being a star, he feels like he is starting from square one again. The business side of it is this fight will give him more exposure. I know he still has a lot of hurt from the Inoue loss. I know that, you know that, everyone who knows him knows that. He knows he could have done better, far better than he did. That pisses him off. It pisses me off.

“We are hoping this is the first of two fights this year. We are looking to fight again in December. I will say this, Carlos Castro better watch his ass. Scooter needed that kick in the ass Inoue gave him. He has so much talent, so much ability that Scooter sometimes does not see it himself. That will come out against Castro. I will not look by Castro. I know Scooter won’t. I do know he’s ready to explode.”

The grand scheme for Fulton, should be beat Castro, who is on a three-fight winning streak since a July 2022 stoppage defeat to Brandon Figueroa, is to face the winner of WBA featherweight titlist Nick Ball’s October 5 defense against Ronny Rios in Liverpool, England.

“When Scooter is at his best, focused, ready, no one, not even Inoue, could beat him,” Rahim stressed. “I don’t just seriously think that; I know that for a fact. The only one who could Stephen Fulton is Stephen Fulton. I tell him that all the time.”

Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Follow @JSantoliquito [twitter.com]

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