Finnegan-McIntosh destined to be a classic on September 24

Jonjo Finnegan has been handed the chance to have a brace of titles strapped around his 12st waist in September.

The popular British Masters champion from Burton (pictured) is one of the most honest and hard-working fighters on the paid circuit and crosses swords with Birmingham's dangerous Eddie McIntosh for both the Masters and vacant Midland Area super-middleweight belts on September 24 at Burton Albion's Pirelli Stadium.

Skillful light-middleweight Duane Parker also boxes on the three-fight First Team (PJ Rowson and Errol Johnson)-promoted dinner show on the Staffordshire-Derbyshire border but it's the tasty-looking ten-round main event that will bring a large crowd to the home of Paul Peschisolido's League Two side.

And it's difficult to see this fascinating-looking 30-minute all-West Midlands fight being anything other than a sure-fire classic. Both men have the ability to use their skills and box when required, but often find themselves dragged into a nose-to-nose war that has earned both a warriors reputation.

McIntosh once the held the Masters strap Finnegan, 31, now wears with pride and is likely to bring a sizeable army with him from the Second City. After piling up ten wins in as many pro fights, as well as winning 40 of 45 rounds, Richie Woodhall-trained 'Braveheart' has lost back-to-back outings - albeit in decent company to Carl Drake, who shockingly snapped his unbeaten run in four, and Daniel Cadman (in Prizefighter).

The 28-year-old (he'll turn 29 three days before they box) has been inactive since that split loss to Cadman in June last year but his fast hands, in-your-face pressure and fair dig (two stoppages) will make him a difficult opponent for Finnegan, who won his maiden pro belt with a ten-round decision over Steel City binman Dean Walker in October.

But solid-boxing Jonjo, 14-6-3, has something you can't buy: an unbreakable determination to go as far as he can. The former Irish light-heavyweight title challenger eats, sleeps and breathes boxing but has enjoyed mixed fortunes this year, splitting a pair of fights with Derby's dangerous Elvis Dube that saw him stopped in five in February but outclass the same man over six last month.

And he knows he could be boxing for the English crown if he can turn away the Brummie's sure-to-be ferocious challenge.

"I've got to be at my best to win," conceded an Errol Johnson-trained ex-Midland ABA champion making the first defence of his treasured title," as he's a capable fighter who will come to my back yard to win and get his career back on track. 

"But i really fancy i can do a job on Eddie and September 24 can't come soon enough," he roared.


Image courtesy of Gavin Burrows.

Elvis checks Wild into the Heartbreak Hotel

Elvis Dube is quickly getting a reputation as a dangerman to be respected.

The chunky Derby puncher has a patchy 14-fight  paid tab (four wins, three inside) but destroyed durable Carl Wild, who'd outpointed him over four in the Steel City last month, in just 123 seconds at Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield, last night (July 29).

Elvis' latest stoppage win brutally illustrates the iron he possesses in the leather that's wrapped around his willing fists; it took 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medalist Kenny Anderson five rounds to put away the solid scrapper, with ten wins and three draws in 29, ten months ago.

But the 33-year-old Shinfield-handled light-heavyweight would have been instructed to make a fast and aggressive start, as the father and son pair of Mike and Jason were in the corner when, in 2008, their charge, then-unbeaten Adie Whitmore, chillingly put Wild's lights out eight seconds earlier than Dube did.

Yet Wild rightly started as favourite in this set 12-minute scrap after a three-point victory last month. But he quickly found himself forced back, roughed up, and sent hurtling towards to the floor with a huge right that thumped heavily on the 25-year-old Yorkshireman's dome. Ten seconds later and former pro Michael Alexander had completed his count. 

Improving Dube has now won three of his last seven, including a stoppage over current British Masters 12st boss Jonjo Finnegan and a four-round points win over touted Welshman Justin Jones in May. A crack at a Midland Area or a Masters belt might not be far off.

Al Harbi just happy to fight

Nasser Al Harbi might not be taking part in a career-defining test against an unbeaten Irishman, but he's just glad he's got a fight.

The promising Brummie had been preparing for an early-July eight-round 'someones-0-has-to-go' showdown with globe-trotting Dubliner Dean Byrne, unblemished in 14, at the ExCel Arena.

But that Frank Warren-promoted show in the Capital was scrapped at the last-minute, leaving the 22-year-old with nothing on the horizon and little chance of a scrap until at least September.

However, he now takes part in a six-rounder in Luton on Sunday afternoon (July 31), on a Graham Earl bill at a cramped and bear pit-like Liquid nightclub, hoping to put eight months of frustration behind him.

Having built a solid-looking 11-fight (one quick win) undefeated ledger, as well as having an WBC Asian welterweight belt sitting on his mantlepiece at home, Al Harbi is a quick-fisted, skillful operator who has whipped two former Midland Area champions and whose accurate punching has handed defeats to two touted opponents.

Because of his record, his ability (shown in the contests and in sparring with the likes of Kell Brook and Anthony Small) and a touch of bad luck, fights haven't been jumping up and smacking him in the face. 

But thanks to Earl, a former British lightweight champion, the neat-boxing Midlander at least gets the chance to shred some rust in the Bedfordshire town. Though an opponent has yet to have been announced for the Second City stylist at time of writing, he will just be happy to get his fists pumping in competitive action after a fight-free 2011 (his last outing taking place in December, when he won his WBC belt in Dubai).

Then, Nasser hopes, big fights and domestic title opportunities will follow next term with his influential new promoter Frank Warren.

'Smasher' Smyle looking to put things right

Jahmaine Smyle is sick of hearing Manny Oshunrinde's claim that he was lucky to escape with a draw.

The pair met in January in an explosive-looking fight that was cut short after the mallet-fisted Leicester puncher was sliced open just 131 seconds into their four-rounder at York Hall.

Under the British Boxing Board of Control's recently-introduced rules, an accidental coming together of heads will lead to a technical draw. Had the same scenario taken place after four completed sessions, it would have gone to the judges scorecards.

But Miami-born beanpole Oshunrinde, who was winless in one before their bout and now winless in three (both defeats coming inside), claims that he was in the ascendancy at the time of the cut and he would have blown away a heavy-handed East Midlander who went on to reach the super-middleweight Prizefighter semi-final and scalp decent Carl Dilks along the way.

Smyle, along with others, dispute that fact and that seems about right. Reports suggest honours were even in the shade over two minutes of action but the Chris Pyatt-trained, Dean Powell-managed knockout merchant will start a heavy favourite on a Graham Earl show at Luton's Liquid nightclub on Sunday afternoon (July 31).

"I can finally put things right at the weekend," roared the 25-year-old, 4-2-1 (3), who has benefited by sparring with the likes of Tony Bellew - the British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight boss - and James DeGale for his most recent bouts.

Randell outpoints former world title challenger; weekend round-up

Tony Randell has regularly hinted that his patchy record isn't reflective of his talent.

And on Saturday night (July 23), on a Ricky Hatton-promoted bill in Bury, the Birmingham boxer (pictured) etched a career-best win onto his 38-bout (12 wins, two draws) ledger by out-pointing former world and European title challenger Luca Messi over six.

Former pro Michael Alexander handed willing Randell a 59-57 (or presumably 3-1-2 in rounds) nod that was slightly more generous to the durable Italian than my tally of 59-56.

On paper, which often misleads plenty of so-called boxing experts, the former Midland Area middleweight champion was no match for Messi, who entered with a stellar-looking 36-8-1 (12) pro record that saw him engage iron-fisted Alejando Garcia in a torrid 12-round struggle for the WBA world light-middleweight strap in 2005. 

A two-weight champion of his country, he also took two-time world champion Michele Piccirillo eleven for the European title, but was knocked out in six by Sheffield switcher Ryan Rhodes, also for the Continental strap, last year in a fight that secured the Yorkshireman his crack at the WBC world light-middleweight crown.

And though the Errol Johnson-handled 29-year-old holds decent wins over once-touted Kevin Concepcion and British title contender Max Maxwell, both for the Midland 160lb belt, the general consensus was he'd give the bronzed Mediterranean boxer a solid distance battle before going down on points. 

However, the battling Brummie forgot to read his lines in the 18-minute script and immediately made his four-and-a-half-inch height difference show. The 36-year-old Italian doggedly plowed forward but was a step behind, caught often by long-armed one-twos from a fired-up Midlander looking to make a statement, and finished the six-rounder marked-up and defeated.

A title chance could now be in the offing for aspiring fashionista Randell, who has ambitions far loftier than the Area title.

Elsewhere on the Lancashire show, Burton welter Tom Shaw improved to three wins without blemish with a four-round thrashing of Jason Carr, who picked himself off the flour in the last to concede a 40-35 decision. But there were defeats for Stourbridge's Kevin McCauley, decked twice and swatted in just 70 seconds by hard-hitting East European Sergey Rabchenko, Nuneaton's Kristian Laight, shut-out over four by fleet-footed local Rhys Roberts, and Birmingham's sturdy Sid Razak, who lost 60-54 to undefeated Kieran Farrell.

And 30 miles away in Huddersfield, at the town centre-based Sports Centre on the same evening, Second City dangerman Andrew Patterson gave now-eight-contest unbeaten Patrick Liam Walsh a torrid six-round argument he won't forget in a hurry. Despite going down 60-54 to a Halifax puncher who likes a fight, 'Patt' gave as good as he got and admitted afterwards that the war re-ignited the fires that the 31-year-old had at the start of a paid career that has brought him four wins and three draws in 26.

The other Midlander on the West Yorkshire show, Lincolnshire's ex-Area champion Ben Lawler, was retired on his stool after four rounds with popular local stylist Tyrone Nurse, who improved his record to 18 without loss (two inside). Shorter Carl Greaves-trained Lawler's desperation punches were no match for a well-schooled boxer who thoroughly dominated the action.

Third time lucky for hungry Amar

Adnan Amar can finally put a host of disappointments behind him at the weekend.

The English welterweight champion hasn't seen competitive action for 21 months and his long-awaited return has twice been penciled in for the last four weeks - June 25, Sheffield, and last weekend in Wembley - only to see the bouts fall through hours before.

But the avoided Nottingham puncher finally gets a fight on Saturday (July 30), on a Stephen Vaughan-promoted show at the Greenbank Sports Centre in Liverpool, and that will spell the end of a near-two-year exile in which men he was ahead of in the domestic rankings have raced ahead.

Ambitious Amar holds top-quality wins over Canadian Ian MacKillop and Mark Lloyd but has been forced to watch from the sidelines as Matthew Hatton, who he was once set to fight, secured a WBC world title shot and the likes of Craig Watson and Lee Purdy take ownership of the British title

The last time he was seen in a professional ring Adnan was taking apart then-streaking Tom Glover, who'd just outpointed former European champion Jon Thaxton, in five one-sided rounds in October 2009, on the undercard of Carl Froch's WBC title defence against Andre Direll at the Nottingham (now CapitalFM) Arena.

That was the second defence of an English 10st 7lbs belt he won against the aforementioned Lloyd, who was unbeaten entering, and hopes to defend again before the year reaches its zenith - with an interesting-looking ten-rounder with smooth-boxing ex-British and European light-welterweight monarch Colin Lynes in the offing.

And this weekend's 12-minute return, against Mansfield's sturdy former Midland Area boss Matt Scriven, should prove to be a decent rust-shredding exercise for fast-handed Amar, 28, who will swap leather with a veteran scrapper who has mainly competed at middleweight and engaging in his 97th outing in the paid ranks.

"The last few months have been frustrating," conceded a tall, capable, long-armed stylist, 23-1 (7), who trains at the Ingles famed Wincobank gym and who's been putting serious venom into his cultured punching in his most recent outings," as i have seen fights fall through on the day or day before i'm due to fight.

"But it's third time lucky for me, even if it's all the way in Liverpool, and i can't wait to get back to work," he added.

Gavin survives Woodhouse scare but questions raised

Sometimes, not only in boxing but in other sports where a brace of people are in involved, a sheer bloody-minded refusal to let a more talented man win can shockingly upset the odds.

But when the will vs skill fight between sharp-boxing 2007 World Amateur champion Frankie Gavin and ex-Birmingham City footballer Curtis Woodhouse was announced i was one of the first to write off Curtis' chances - feeling that if he'd made it to the fourth or fifth, and that was being generous, then he would have overachieved.

Yet, on a good-looking Frank Warren show at Liverpool's Echo Arena last night (July 16), willing Woodhouse took the touted Birmingham boxer to a 12-round split decision that had opinion divided. While Dave Parris had the underdog a one-point 115-114 victor that proved popular to the Liverpudlian crowd, both Terry O'Connor (117-112) and Phil Edwards (116-113) favoured the now-11-fight (eight quick wins) undefeated portsider.

And Woodhouse, older by six years at 31 and now 15-3 (10), even managed to show a smooth  southpaw who'd been boxing since he was 11 how to use a jab in the opening four rounds. Gavin, who had a reputation for being impossible to hit in the vest, was slow to start but began to find his timing and rhythm as the rounds progressed.

His feet began to move well, slipping the hard-looking punches from the self-styled 'Driffield Destroyer', and a series of fast-handed combinations stung his man as the bout advanced to the latter stages. But the Dave Coldwell-managed scrapper sent the gum-shield of a boxer he'd engaged in a year-long slanging match flying in the tenth and an unlikely win seemed a distinct reality.

Now sliced open on the bridge of his nose, the Anthony Farnell-trained stylist (making the first defence of this WBO Intercontinental welterweight strap) dusted himself down, opened a cut underneath the Yorkshireman's left eye, and rattled in twos and threes as the 36 minutes drew to a close. Despite the heated pre-fight rivalry that bubbled over at the weigh-in on Friday afternoon, the pair braced embraced a the final bell and Curtis accepted the decision with good grace. 

He can be rightly proud of his effort.

Former world featherweight monarch Barry McGuigan was, however, critical of Frankie's showing, highlighting the fact that the Brummie is not putting the hard work in when it comes to making weight and that he should, if he wants to reach the kind of level he aspires to, have blown away a man who'd never engaged in unpaid combat. But that's taking away the performance Woodhouse put in.

If you're reading, Curtis, let me be the first acknowledge i need to eat a sizeable slice of humble pie.

McKenzie tamed by boxing-minded 'Bomber' Bellew

All the pre-fight discussion was on how long the fight would last and who could summon the courage to fight their way up from the inevitable feast of knockdowns.

But is was a display of controlled, measured boxing on the back foot that saw Tony Bellew add the vacant British title to his Commonwealth light-heavyweight crown, outpointing durable Derby-based Jamaican Ovill McKenzie after a watchable 12 at Liverpool's Echo Arena last night (July 16).

Though short of the fireworks that made their first fight an up-and-down classic at the the tail-end of last year - which saw Bellew twice scrape himself off the floor in the opening six minutes to sensationally flatten his opponent in the eighth - the victor did what he had to do to get the win.

After sharing the first and edging the second on my scorecard, McKenzie didn't manage to win a solitary session after that. He struggled to find the punches that had seen him seconds from victory in December and admitted afterwards he was out-boxed.

And the three scoring judges all had it in favour of the hot-headed local puncher - 118-111 for both Richie Davies and Phil Edwards, and a wider 119-110 scoreline for Dave Parris that matched my tally.

Mike and Jason Shinfield-handled Ovill, whose professional tab now slips to 18-11 (7), pressed forward without throwing a great deal and was often picked off by a sharp and accurate lead by the 28-year-old former three-time ABA champion, making the third defence of a Commonwealth 175lb belt McKenzie wore for five months in 2006.

The fact he threw little is not a criticism, as the East Midlands-based ex-Prizefighter king rarely found himself in a position to let his hands go in a manner that worked so well in their epic first duel. To his credit, Tony showed he has more to his game than blood-and-guts wars with a back-footed display of controlled punching.

Bellew rarely stepped inside to land his much-vaunted right and though his opponent fought with more urgency in the final two rounds, he stuck to orders and racked up the points that added the Lonsdale Belt to his collection and keeps him on course to meet WBO world champion Nathan Cleverley (seated ringside) later this year.

"Listen, McKenzie is a dangerous, dangerous fighter," said the victor, who improves to 16 wins without loss (ten inside), afterwards. "For the first time in my life i stuck to my instructions and put on a masterclass."

In the headline bout on the much-anticipated Frank Warren show, Dagenham's Kevin Mitchell came through an eight-round thriller with Manchester's previously 31-fight unbeaten John Murray. Cleverly switching between boxing and fighting throughout, the former world title challenger  decked ex-European boss Murray with a left in the eight and unleashed a volley of blows that prompted the referee's intervention moments later.

Big weekend for Midlands boxers

Frankie Gavin isn't the only Midlander to be involved in title action this weekend in Liverpool.

Derby-based Ovill McKenzie (pictured right), 18-10 (7), boxes for the Commonwealth and vacant British light-heavyweight titles against an undefeated puncher he came seconds from halting in December.

Liverpool's Tony 'Bomber' Bellew, 15-0 (10), was forced to pick himself up from a brace of knockdowns in the opening two rounds before dropping and stopping the 31-year-old former cruiserweight Prizefighter champion in the eighth of an up-and-down classic at the same dockside venue they meet on Saturday evening - the 10,000-seater Echo Arena.

Neither man is short of a word but the pre-fight needle has been razor-sharp this time around, with iron-jawed Shinfield-handled McKenzie, who once held the Commonwealth 175lb strap, claiming the cannon-ball-fisted champion had taken drugs before their last fight - adding he could "see it in his eyes". 


Bellew, who offered to take an Olympic-style test to prove his innocence, has venomously hit back at the accusations and promised to switch his Jamaican-born East Midlands opponent's lights out after a brutal and sustained beating that fighters rarely recover from.

With the touch paper lit in December and fizzling ever since, don't expect this intriguing-looking 12-rounder to go anywhere near that distance.

Other Midlands-based fighters on the Frank Warren-promoted, Sky Sports-televised Merseyside bill include Brummie dangerman Terry Carruthers, 8-8-6 (1), who takes on tall, long-armed Scouser Joe Selkirk, 6-0 (3), over a light-middleweight six - as well as the four-round pro bow of Birmingham heavyweight John Loveday, a serving soldier from Kitts Green who goes face-to-face with Preston's always-willing Howard 'Demolition' Daley.

Gavin: "Time's ticking for Woodhouse"

Frankie Gavin has warned Curtis Woodhouse that his mouth has got him in far more trouble than it would of had he kept it shut.

Britain's only-ever World Amateur champion (pictured on the right) has been involved in a year-long public spat with an ex-professional footballer who used to play for Gavin's beloved Birmingham City.

And the 25-year-old Second City southpaw, undefeated in ten as a paid performer (eight quick wins), has hit out at Woodhouse's footwork, his footballing and boxing ability, and vowed to put him to sleep when they finally meet over 12 rounds at Liverpool's Echo Arena on Saturday night (July 16).

Though limited as a boxer in comparison to a man who has been using his fists for 14 years and reached the top of the unpaid tree, Driffield banger Woodhouse, 15-2 (10), is solid, willing and has verbally punched back with claims Gavin has beaten no-one of note since he handed in his vest and head guard in early 2009.

However, the Glyn Rhodes-trained, Dave Coldwell-managed Yorkshireman lost to canny former Southern Area champion Peter McDonagh over eight - the same Irishman who'd previously been whipped over six rounds by 'Funtime Frankie', who took every session - and his argument looks to have fallen on deaf ears.

Curtis, six years older at 31 but with no boxing miles on his clock, also labeled Young Mutley (the heavy-handed former British welterweight champion from West Brom who lost over 12 to Gavin last time out) as "washed-up" and ex-Prizeighter champion Michael Lomax, the cute lefty, as "a late replacement who wasn't prepared".

But Anthony Farnell-handled Gavin roared back by saying: "He says i haven't beaten anyone, but he couldn't get a win over McDonagh, who i out-pointed without getting out of second gear. 


"He hasn't really got a leg to stand on with my level of opponent argument, has he?" reasoned the WBO Intercontinental 147lb champion from Yardley, making the maiden defence of his belt at the weekend.

"I'm going to apologise to those coming up from Brum because Woodhouse won't be there for very long. This is about levels and if he can't beat journeymen-types like McDonagh and [Jay] Morris (a reversal he later avenged) then he can't honestly expect to beat me.

"At the end of the day his mouth can only take him a certain way and, when we get into the ring in Liverpool, he's getting beaten up and knocked out. Time's ticking for Woodhouse."

Make or break title fight for Concepcion

Martin Concepcion concedes defeat in September will spell the end of his fistic career.

The mallet-handed Leicester puncher - last seen being taken apart inside five minutes by unbeaten Sergey Rabchenko in February - has been handed the opportunity to be a two-weight Midland Area boss when he meets current champion Matt Hainy in a must-win ten-rounder on September 25.

The East Midlands pair dispute ownership of the middleweight belt on a Clifton Mitchell-promoted card at the Hermitage Leisure Centre in Whitwick (about 15 miles outside of Leicester) and Concepcion, a former British and Commonwealth 11st title challenger, knows anything less than his hand being raised will push him towards retirement.

Having suffered back-to-back inside-the-distance defeats, the 29-year-old is eager to re-discover the form that took him to 11 wins in his first 11 paid outings, eight of those men failing to hear the final bell, and a belt at light-middleweight.

But in Derbyshire-based Hainy, 8-2 (1), he meets a honest and bigger boxer whose only professional reversals arrived at super-middleweight. Then-undefeated Sam Horton outpointed him by a single point after a torrid 30-minute tussle for 12st Area strap and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Tony Jeffries ended matters earlier, pounding the body and stopping him in two.

Hainy has, however, yet to taste defeat at 11st 6lbs and holds two victories over men who've beaten his soon-to-be opponent's brother, ex-Masters king Kevin. 

Birmingham dangerman Tony Randell outscored the older Concepcion yet only won a single session against the former kick-boxer when they swapped leather last year. And Southampton prospect Tony Hill entered with an unblemished four-fight ledger but that was snapped on points and then went on to blow away Kevin inside three minutes.

So it's a matter of family honour for Martin, 17-9 (10), who promised to revert to the explosive style that was a trademark of his early career. He said: "This is the biggest fight of my career so far. If i lose, it's over. If i win, it's the English title next.

"I think, based on the little footage I've seen, Hainy is similar to [Kevin] Hammond," reasoned a chin-or-be-chinned scrapper who outpointed Lincoln's Hammond in a brace of toe-to-toe Area title clashes at light-middleweight in 2010.

"I've still got ambitions but, if i lose this fight, i'll have to ask myself if i should carry on. I don't want that and i'm training the way i did when i first turned over - looking to take them out as quick as i can.

"It's a fight I've got to win," he added.

Macklin taking Germany by Sturm... teil zwei

Matthew Macklin's heroic performance against Felix Sturm in Germany two weeks ago has been rewarded with an immediate rematch.

Whilst David Haye turned in a tepid showing in Hamburg a week later, the Birmingham middleweight confidently went into the lion's den in Cologne and took the fight to the skilled WBA world middleweight champion for 12 rounds and seemed unfortunate to come away with nothing.

Many in the trade had Macklin edging a bruising encounter he appeared to be dominating for the first 18 minutes - forcing Sturm, making the tenth defence in his second reign as World Boxing Association boss, onto the back foot with an educated close-quarters assault of the body.

Yet two of the judges saw the former WBO champion a clear 116-112 winner, with the third handing Matthew a 115-113 tally that came more in line with the consensus. For what it's worth, which is very little, i had the Irish-rooted ex-British and two-time European monarch, 29, a 115-114 victor (or 6-5-1 in rounds).

Though Sturm began to peg the sharp Solihull scrapper back in the last quarter - taking a step back and making room to thread accurate right uppercuts through Macklin's defence - he was out-landed during the 36 minutes of exciting action and for him to have won by four rounds was ludicrous to even the most biased German.

Afterwards, the classy 32-year-old offered an immediate rematch to the Joe Gallagher-trained, Birmingham-born crowd-pleaser, who used to spend long summers in his parents' homeland of Ireland, that was thought to be no more than usual post-fight bluster in which nothing would materialise. 

But neat-boxing Sturm, 36-2-1 (15) and who thought (despite acknowledging it was close) he'd done more than enough to win on June 25, has proved his word is his bond by hastily penciling in a second fight, also at the impressive Lanxess Arena in Cologne, on November 26 - though i understand Macklin has yet to agree to it.

History is littered with men who boxed to the absolute peak of their ability in a first meeting only to be blown away in a rematch. But if he does take him up on the offer, Macklin, 28-3 (19), will hope history doesn't follow a similar path and that the judges give him a fair deal this time around or, better still, that they won't be needed at all.

Photo courtesy of FelixSturm.De.

McKenzie promises three-round demolition

If Ovill McKenzie's plan is to wind Tony Bellew up then he's carrying it out with pin-point accuracy.

The charasmatic Derby-based Jamaican goes to battle with Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion Bellew, on a Frank Warren show at Liverpool's Echo Arena on July 16, for a second time and has promised not to let the self-styled 'Bomber' off the hook this time around.

The crowd-pleasing pair met at the same Merseyside venue in December, also on a Warren-promoted card, in an up-and-down battle (pictured above) that saw iron-fisted Bellew, 15-0 (10), having to scrape himself off the canvas in each of the opening two rounds. But though he looked seconds away from his first paid defeat less than six minutes in, the Scouser gradually came firing back and eventually found the punches to turn the tables an end matters in the seventh.

Iron-chinned former cruiserweight Prizefighter champion McKenzie, 18-10 (7), protested vehemently - claiming, somewhat justifiably, that the 28-year-old was in a worse state and allowed to continue - and gets the chance to put things right in ten days. This time, though, there will be two more added incentives: the vacant British 12st 7lbs belt and a possible date with a world champion.

WBO monarch Nathan Cleverley has sparred with Ovill in the lead-up to this scheduled 12-rounder and the Welshman's war of words with Bellew has put them on a collision course, possibly in December. But McKenzie could gate-crash their party and has been vocal in his drug-taking theories on a former ABA champion whose explosive power and cavalier attitude has won him a legion of fans.

The Mike and Jason Shinfield-handled East Midlander is adamant that his opponent took a banned substance in December and said: "I thought [after our last fight] he was on drugs and i stand by that comment. For me, it's a fair accusation. He looked like he was on drugs.

"But he won't make it through nine minutes this time around," boasted the 31-year-old ex-Commonwealth king during a conference call earlier today. "When i drop him this time, i can assure you he won't be getting back up."

A fired-up Bellew, always good for a quote, coldly added: "I'm looking forward to ramming those accusations back down your throat. I'm going to batter you from pillar to post and i'll knock you out again."

Al Harbi left in lurch after fight cancelation

Nasser Al Harbi's intriguing-looking eight-rounder with undefeated Dean Byrne has been shelved.

The unbeaten Birmingham light-middleweight, 11-0 (1), was set to swap leather with the globe-trotting Dubliner on Saturday (June 9) on a bill topped by a 12-round dispute between Capital puncher Kevin Mitchell and Manchester's former British and European lightweight boss John Murray.

But the Frank Warren-promoted card at the ExCel Arena was scrapped yesterday after Mitchell, who would have been fighting for the first time since being swatted aside with ease by Aussie warmonger Michael Katsidis last year, came down with a viral infection. 

(For the record, the Mitchell-Murray fight has now been re-scheduled for the huge show at Liverpool's Echo Arena on July 16).

Al Harbi, though, has less to be happy about. He's been told his bout with 26-year-old ex-Freddie Roach-trained Byrne, 14-0 (6), will be not be taking place in the immediate future. That's a shame. The fight, pitching two unbeaten, talented and hungry young prospects vying for a deal with promoter Warren, looked a show-stealing scrap in the making.

And Saturday's bout would have been 22-year-old Nasser's first contest of 2011 - having been inactive since travelling to Dubai to snatch the vacant WBC Asia Council Continental 10st 7lbs title in December, when he took of Thailand's Dennapa Bigshotcamp in seven rounds.

Froch: "I'll do what Haye couldn't and make Britain proud on October 29."

Carl Froch refuses to believe a broken toe cost David Haye his fight with Wladimir Klitschko.

The WBC world super-middleweight champion from Nottingham had vocally backed Bermondsey's then-WBA heavyweight boss to slay the multi-titled 6ft 6ins, 17st German-based Ukrainian giant when they met in Hamburg on Saturday night (July 2).

But the Englishman was forced to eat Wladimir's jab for 12 controlled rounds and later blamed his inability to plow through the broom-handle-like lead and get his punches off on a broken little toe that effected his balance and ability to set his feet.

Froch, however, believes that friend Haye was simply beaten by a better-skilled man who made the most of his physical advantages in height and weight. He said: "To be fair, it wouldn't have been ideal for him to have gone into a contest of that magnitude with a broken toe, but we [fighters] always go in with niggles.

"When i beat [future WBC light-heavyweight boss Jean] Pascal for my first world title [in Nottingham in 2008] i went into it with broken ribs and stood toe-to-toe with a knockout artist for 12 rounds and still won. People had paid good money to come and see me and i wasn't going to let my Nottingham faithful down.

"But i don't think David is using it as a full excuse," continued the mallet-fisted 34-year-old East Midlander, 28-1 (20). "Everyone could see what was going on so he probably shouldn't have said it as it detracts from the job he [Klitschko] did. He was out-jabbed by a technically-sound fighter with a weight and height advantage."

And 'The Cobra' promised to put in a showing that will cement his place as Britain's premier pound-for-pound fighter - which has been disputed with Haye for a while - when he meets undefeated American Andre Ward, the smooth-boxing if light-hitting WBA 12st king, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on October 29.

Although Froch would have preferred the unification fight and Showtime Super Six final to be in Nottingham [at the City Ground, home to his beloved Forest] or Las Vegas, the Matchroom-promoted warrior is delighted that he at least won't have to cross swords in California - where Ward, from Oakland, has boxed in nine of his last ten.

"Ward is coming to fight, unbeaten [24-0, 13 stoppages] but he can't hurt me and i'll walk through him," boasted Carl, who took full-bloodied punches from world-class foursome Jean Pascal, Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham and Glen Johnson without being seriously rattled. "He won't have hometown officials letting him get away with using his head when he wants, as he did against Kessler and Abraham, either.

"I would have liked it in Vegas. I mean, who wouldn't? To see my name up in lights would have been amazing. But it's back to Atlantic City [where he outpointed Glen Johnson last month] and i can assure everyone that i'll make Britain proud of their fighters when i come home with the trophy, the WBC and WBA world titles, and The Ring Magazine belt."

Davies: "I've lost but it'll never happen again."

Rhys Davies returns to action in September vowing never to lose again.

The Coventry cruiserweight surrendered his six-fight (one draw, one inside) unbeaten record to Nottingham puncher Shane McPhilbin at Bedworth Civic Hall nine days ago but returns to the same venue on September 10 to rebuild his reputation.

Davies was a heavy pre-fight favourite going into the ten-round vacant Midland Area title clash but was shockingly decked and halted inside three absorbing sessions by a mallet-fisted, iron-jawed 25-year-old former Prizefighter semi-finalist having his first fight at cruiser.

But he insists positives can be drawn from the defeat and promised that his next visit to the Warwickshire venue, on a Les Allen-promoted bill that sees an excellent-looking all-Coventry Midland Area welterweight title dust-up between champion Sean McKervey and undefeated James Flinn headlining, will be an explosive return.

"It's very rare to see a fighter never lose, but it still was horrible," admitted the well-sculpted 27-year-old, whose twin - fast-fisted super-middleweight banger Llewy - won a shut-out over six rounds on the same card and who also fights on Rhys' return. "It will never happen again.

"There will be people who will question my chin but i'll be coming back stronger and ready to prove a point," the hard-working West Midlander roared.

Aston wins second pro bout in a week

Black Country middleweight Ryan Aston continued to show the form that left George Groves with a black eye.

The skillful southpaw from Dudley (pictured left) registered his second paid win in as many weeks by pounding out a four-round decision over Zahari Mutafchiev, Bulgaria, on the undercard of IBF and WBO heavyweight boss Wladimir Klitschko's one-sided 12-round taming of WBA champion David Haye.

Ex-Priory Park unpaid puncher Aston is handled by Hayemaker Boxing and had won every one of the four sessions scheduled for his debut in Sheffield last week. He battered winless Iain Jackson on that Matchroom-promoted show - topped by Kell Brook's breakout performance against former world champion Lovemore N'Dou - and in doing so looked polished and measured.

And the 20-year-old four-time national amateur champion thoroughly bossed the action in a rain-soaked Hamburg last night (July 2) - seemingly doing as he pleased against a durable fighter who was 17 years his senior and with 15 more paid bouts (four wins) under his belt. 

Aston, now 2-0 and who gave British and Commonwealth 12st monarch Groves that shiner in the run-up to his fight with James DeGale, looks set for a bright future.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images.