Nova Scotia boxer Custio Clayton wins 2 major titles

Nova Scotia boxer Custio Clayton is one step closer to achieving his goal of becoming a world champion boxer.

On Thursday in Montreal, the North Preston-raised boxer won his 10-round bout over Mexico's Johnny Navarette, which earned him both the WBC Continental Americas welterweight and IBF international welterweight titles.

Clayton said patience was key in winning the biggest bout of his career.

"I'm just enjoying it, but it's been a long road. I've been waiting for this for about a year now," said Clayton, a 2012 Olympian.

"At the end I became a champion, it's a great feeling."

Earlier this month, Clayton, 29, was scheduled to fight for the WBC Continental Americas welterweight title, but his opponent was overweight and the fight was cancelled.

1 fight, 2 titles

Clayton was expecting his next fight to happen in July, but just days later his manager and promoter asked if he would be up for a shot at the two titles on June 15 and he said yes.

"It was tough because we already had training and stuff done at a certain time and to try and get it done and back up after, yeah it was hard," said Clayton, who lives in and fights out of Montreal.

Winning the titles — which places him in the top 15 of both organizations — puts Clayton in a good position for his next goal: a shot at a world championship.

"When you're in the top 15, from one to 15, you could get a title shot at any time," he said.

Hometown pride

"I'm very happy right now and just want to keep going and getting better and one day hopefully become world champion so I'll be able to bring that back to Nova Scotia."

Another dream for Clayton would be to have a bout in Nova Scotia. He said he plans to bring his belts with him the next time he visits home.

Gary Johnson, the head coach of the City of Lakes Amateur Boxing Club where Clayton got his start at age nine, said he wasn't surprised by the win.

"Me and him talked the day before his fight and he was very, very confident and I was really pleased to see how confident he was. Mentally and physically he was really into it ... I was pleased. I feel really good for him. City of Lakes, we feel really proud of him," Johnson said.

Floyd Donovan, the assistant coach of the City of Lakes Amateur Boxing Club, has known Clayton for 15 years and said he's a "very determined" and "smart" fighter.

"He's humble, he respects the sport, he loves the sport. He has a vision in the sport, not short-sighted, but he's real at the same time," Donovan said.