Finnegan looking to erase memories of Dube disaster

Jonjo Finnegan has a chance to put things right in May.

The British Masters super-middleweight champion looked to have hit his peak as a fighter but was shockingly halted in five rounds by Derby's dangerous but  unheralded Elvis Dube last month.

The unscheduled setback, on a Pat Cowdell-promoted card in Birmingham, was Finnegan's first defeat in three years - and the popular Burton-on-Trent scrapper gets the opportunity to even the score when the pair meet for a second time on May 23, again in the Second City.

Shinfield-handled Dube's record may be patchy (a brace of wins in nine) but both his victories have arrived inside the distance and he always comes looking for a fight.

And he clawed his way back from being soundly out-boxed over the opening four rounds to drop the 30-year-old former Irish light-heavyweight title challenger with seconds remaining in the fifth of a set six.

Despite the always-brave Finnegan managing to find his to his feet, referee Sean Messer waived it off - handing the Errol Johnson-trained stylist his sixth defeat as a professional (13 wins, three draws).

The manner of the defeat clearly frustrates Jonjo, who was looking forward to topping a bumper bill in his hometown. He said: "It was a poor stoppage.

"I was clearly winning the fight - had won all the rounds leading up till the fifth - but got caught with a silly shot. That's boxing. But i was up at four, my head was clear and i was ready to carry on. 

"There was only a few seconds left so i should have been allowed to carry on," reasoned a popular Midlander who won the British Masters 12st strap with a grueling ten-round decision over a man he once drew with, Sheffield bin man Dean Walker.

"As soon as i left the ring i spoke to Errol and he's got me the only fight i wanted - a rematch with Dube, on May 23. He's the only person on my mind and this time i will set the record straight," roared the former Midland ABA champion."

Iron-fisted Smyle's 'Dynamite' test in Prizefighter

Big-punching Jahmaine Smyle has been handed the toughest-looking test in the opening round of the super-middleweight Prizefighter.

The Leicester banger, 24, meets ex-Commonwealth 12st title challenger Carl 'Dynamite' Dilks in the always-lively knockout tournament at Liverpool's Olympia on Wednesday (March 23), which also includes former WBC world champion Robin Reid and dangerous Steel City scrapper Patrick Maxwell.

Dilks, 14-3 (5), is probably best remembered for being taken out inside three minutes by James DeGale, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist and current British super-middleweight boss. But the Liverpudlian is better than that.

Capable enough to give Charles Adamu a 12-round argument for the Commonwealth title - and looking unlucky to lose - the 27-year-old is solid, can bang and boxed in the light-heavyweight version of Prizefighter in 2009, losing controversially to Darren Stubbs.

And Smyle, 3-1-1 (3), although heavy-handed and trained by Leicester's former WBO world middleweight king Chris Pyatt, can't boast that experience, and an inside-the-distance defeat to Wayne Reed (also in this competition) suggests he may well be a chin-or-be-chinned performer.

But the heavily-muscled East Midlander's raw power and ambition means he's likely to be dangerous over the nine-minute contests, even if - the DeGale stoppage aside - Dilks has displayed a firm set of whiskers.

Jahmaine sparred with DeGale for this and said: "I didn't land many on James but it's the best sparring out there and can only make me better.

"I've got as good a chance as any and i'll take it," added the Dean Powell-managed puncher.

Booth having to go to Spain for European title shot

Jason Booth won't believe it's happened again.

Nottingham's popular British and Commonwealth super-bantamweight champion had recently been put forward to box for the vacant European 8st 10lbs title, against hammer-fisted ex-monarch Kiko Martinez, and was set to secure home advantage.

But Booth, for the fourth time, will have to travel onto the Continent to try and secure a belt that has alluded him in a 15-year professional career.

Promoter Frank Maloney lost out in securing the purse bids in Rome, with the winning bid rumoured to be around 60,000 Euros. No date has been released as of yet.

Booth, who unsuccessfully boxed in Spain and twice in France for the Continental title in the past, knows the odds are stacked against him; Madrid-born Martinez has never been stopped, will be on home turf and carries the type of fight-ending power that worries the very best, even if Booth has never been stopped in a 42-fight career (36 wins, 15 early).

It appears to be a task of Everest-sized proportions, not that it appears to faze the charismatic East Midlander.

"It's not a problem," said the recent IBF world super-bantamweight title challenger, 33.

"Obviously I've been ripped off before when i fought for the European title [the three previous defeats in those attempts are said to be controversial] but i have the skills to do what Rendall [Munroe, Leicester's former EBU champion and a man who twice tamed Martinez] did.

"Nothing's come easy for me, both in life or inside the ropes. But this is a fight i will win," boasted the Tony Harris-trained box-fighter from Strelley.

Davies gets what he wanted - an early night

Rhys Davies was a happy man on Friday night.

The 27-year-old Coventry cruiserweight extended his unbeaten run to six (five wins and a draw) and recorded his first stoppage as a paid fighter, pummeling durable Verban Borisov to defeat in three rounds.

Davies is being maneuvered towards a crack at the Midland Area 14st belt (a title that has been vacant since Rugby's Carl Wright wore it in 2005) and a ferocious display of body punching knocked the resistance out of the sturdy Bulgarian, who'd only been halted quickly once in five entering, at a packed Bedworth Civic Hall.

A thumping right uppercut set about the end, with referee Rob Chalmers diving in as the 29-year-old Eastern European import slumped to the floor under an avalanche of punches from the self-styled 'Chocolate Warrior', whose twin brother, recent Prizefighter competitor Llewy, is recovering from an operation on his shoulder.

He'd predicted an early night before the contest and is now penciled in to return to action on May 23.

Afterwards, well-muscled, hammer-fisted Rhys said: "I told my mum before i would knock him out in the third. I didn't let her down."

Macklin handed WBA eliminator

Matthew Macklin's debut for Golden Boy Promotions will now take place in England - and be an eliminator for a world title.

The Birmingham puncher was set to take on American legend Ronald 'Winky' Wright in Las Vegas in April, until the former undisputed light-middleweight champion pulled out of the ten-rounder with injury.

Macklin, a former British champion and two-time European middleweight king, was devastated at losing the chance to shine in front of a big American audience.

But now the 28-year-old Second City stylist, 28-2 (19), finds himself on the undercard of Amir Khan's defence of his World Boxing Association light-welterweight title, against undefeated Irishman Paul McCloskey, at Manchester's MEN Arena on April 16.

In fact, Macklin's 12-round WBA title eliminator with German-based Armenian Khoren Gevor, himself a former European 11st 6lbs champion, could turn out to be a far trickier assignment.

Okay, so Wright is a modern day legend but was nearing 40, had suffered back-to-back defeats (albeit against another all-time great, Bernard Hopkins, and then-white-hot Paul Williams) and hadn't fought in two years.

In Gevor, 31-5 (16), the Brummie meets a willing, dangerous and solid 32-year-old who has unsuccessfully challenged three times for world titles in two weight divisions (close decision defeats to Felix Sturm and Dimitri Sartison (WBA super-middleweight), as well as a gruesome knockout to Arthur Abraham for the IBF strap).

The winner of the intriguing-looking 36-minute scrap could then meet German star Sturm, the skilled and measured WBA boss, later this year.

Maughan: Stamina the key

Terry Maughan believes better stamina will lead to better performances.

The 25-year-old Nottingham middleweight etched win four onto his six-fight (two defeats) paid tab (and his fourth win in five) with a shut-out four-round taming of durable Waddington trier Ryan Clark at the weekend (Saturday, March 12).

Maughan, trained by Tony Harris in his home city after starting his pro career with former WBC super-middleweight boss Richie Woodhall in Birmingham, dominated the action with a solid lead left - leaving Clark (who'd held unbeaten Myles Holder to a draw two weeks ago) to be soundly out-boxed in Sleaford.

But the three-time British kick-boxing champion from Sneinton confessed he needs to up his outside-the-gym training if he's to progress successfully over the championship distances of 30 and 36 minutes.

"I want to be in this game to win titles," said the Irish-rooted East Midlander. "So i'm going to have to make sure i have the engine to go the ten and 12-round distances.

"I always train hard but i'll need to increase the frequency and intensity of my hill runs to improve my stamina. No stone will be left unturned.

"But i was happy with it [his 40-36 victory over the battle-hardened 21-year-old from Lincolnshire]. He always comes to fight, but i was too sharp and showed him too much movement.

"Hopefully, i'll be fighting again soon. I'm on a roll and have big ambitions," he added.

Wright pulls out of Macklin fight

Matthew Macklin's fight with former undisputed light-middleweight champion Ronald 'Winky' Wright is off.

The brick-fisted Birmingham middleweight, 28-2 (19), was set to swap leather with the American over ten rounds on April 9 at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas.

But all-time great Wright, who was to have his first fight in two years, injured his hand sparring last week, leaving the two-time European champion searching for a new opponent on his debut fight for Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions.

Macklin, 28, said: "To be honest, i'm gutted. A win against Winky would have put me right up there among the challengers for a world title. He was making a comeback and aiming to do the same thing.

"It was a great fight for both of us and it would have brought out the very best of me," added the former British champion from Solihull.

Maughan ready for Clark test

Terry Maughan feels his career-best win last time out has kick-started a charge towards the British light-middleweight title.

The three-time British kick-boxing champion from Nottingham has had a mixed start to his hands-only boxing career - and was sensationally (not to mention shockingly) taken apart on his debut in two rounds by veteran Matt Scriven in 2009.

But the 25-year-old has won three of his last four (a controversial stoppage defeat to Sheffield's Monsoor Wali punctuating a two-fight winning streak) and soundly out-boxed and shut-out a solid southpaw, West Brom's former British Masters title challenger Wayne Downing, on his last visit to the ring.

And now Maughan, trained by Tony Harris - who instigated Jason Booth's turn-around from alcoholic to world title challenger - in his home city, boxes durable trier Ryan Clark over four rounds on Saturday (March 12) at the Northgate Leisure Centre in Lincolnshire.

Sturdy and willing, 32-bout Clark's confidence will be sky-high after drawing with undefeated Myles Holder in Walsall last week - and the Sneinton-based scrapper, who had no amateur experience but was 5-0 in unlicenced boxing, expects a test from the battle-hardened 21-year-old from Lincoln.

"I know he [Clark] is tough but it's a fight i should and will win," said the East Midlander, originally trained by former WBC world super-middleweight champion Richie Woodhall in Birmingham when he turned pro two years ago.

"I'll use my skills to keep things the way i want them and box him, as i know he'll probably come looking to drag me down into the trenches - especially as he is boxing close to home.

"But i'm looking forward to it and after the way i boxed in November [the aforementioned four-round destruction of Downing], i feel better than ever.

"Everyone wants to win the British title and i'm no different," he continued. "I get up at 6:15 four days a week, train hard, and believe i have the tools to go and take that belt one day."

Davies aiming to put Borisov to sleep

Not even a change of opponent will stop Rhys Davies in his blood-thirsty quest for brutal knockouts.

The self-styled 'Chocolate Warrior' from Coventry (pictured on the left) has racked up an impressive pro record of four wins in five (one draw) but now has only one thing on his mind: to knock a man cold.

He was penciled in to fight durable Bulgarian cruiserweight champion Yavor Marinchev over four rounds at Bedworth Civic Hall on April 11, on a Les Allen-promoted show that see's another Coventry fighter, unbeaten James Flinn, challenging Ben Lawler for the British Masters welterweight title.

But Marinchev has pulled out with injury and now Davies, whose twin - fleet-footed, fast-fisted super-middleweight Llewy - boxed in the last Prizefighter, meets an iron-jawed 29-year-old, Verban Borisov, who gave touted Geordie Kash Hussain a decent argument in Birmingham in January.

Davies, 27, boxed on that card - shutting out Tayar Mehmed over a routine four- and now wants to send his Eastern European opponent back on the long journey home with a headache and the memory of the 6'1 personal trainer looming over him.

"My opponent may have changed but that really doesn't matter," boasted the Oliver Harrison-trained West Midlander. "He might be known as 'Tank' and have a solid left hook but lets see how long he lasts against me, shall we?

"I give him a minute before he's hugging the ropes for comfort."

EU shot for frustrated Lloyd

Telford's Mark Lloyd has, after three years of trying, finally secured himself another meaningful title fight.

The former three-weight champion (British and International Masters titles at light-middleweight and middleweight, as well as a Midland Area title at welterweight) will travel to Italy to take on Cagliari's Luciano 'Bazooka' Abis for the EU title on April 15.

The 12-rounder appears to have come at the right time for the 35-year-old from Shropshire, 15-3 (3), who has a reputation as a rock-jawed, iron-souled pressure fighter who doesn't know the meaning of the word quit.

He said: "I have lost count of the number of times that I have been promised a big fight only to see it has fallen through.

"To be honest, I was getting dis-heartened with boxing and I was ready to knock it on the head,"  the former English title challenger, a plumber by day and puncher by night, candidly admitted. "But all the contracts and paperwork have come through for this one and I’m really up for it. 

"I'm ready to take this chance."

European Union (a sister title to the full European strap) champion Abis, 31, has a stellar 30-1-1 paid ledger but is not known as a puncher, only 14 coming via the short route. But he is, based on a few sightings I've had of him on Eurosport, a fast, skillful, steady operator who gave then-European champion Rafal Jackiewicz a decent test.

And though Lloyd has a susceptibility to cuts (sliced open in three of his last four outings), he's only been halted by undefeated Jamie Cox, a fight he was leading until caught to the body in the final session, is tough, hits the body well and should have enough know-how to cause problems.

That said, he is honest enough to admit he's clueless as to what to expect on his first fight outside England.

“I don’t know much about Abis," continued the Errol Johnson-trained scraper, a one-time Prizefighter semi-finalist. "All that i do know, however, is that he has a cracking record and his only defeat has been on a split decision so he can definitely fight a bit.

"But i'm confident, even if it's in his backyard. I'm going there to win."

Froch: bring on Pavlik, Johnson, Ward, Pascal...

Carl Froch says he has no fear of taking on Kelly Pavlik - or any other fighter at 12st or 12st 7lbs for that matter.

The WBC world super-middleweight champion from Nottingham meets Miami-based Jamaican Glen Johnson, a former world number one at light-heavyweight, in the Super Six semi-final in May with the news that Pavilk has been installed as his number one contender.

Pavlik, who once reigned as the undisputed champion at middleweight before running into Argentine Sergio Martinez in his last outing, is known as a tough, uncompromising puncher who has knocked out 32 men in compiling a stellar 36-2 professional ledger.

However, the 28-year-old American was humbled by Bernard Hopkins two years ago in his only fight at super-middle, and rock-fisted Froch - a career-long campaigner at this weight - believes his strength and power would be too much.

"He [Pavlik] was big and strong at his weight but he would be massively out of his depth at super-middle," began the two-time WBC boss from the East Midlands. "He got handed a massive whooping when he took on [Bernard] Hopkins a couple of years ago.

"To be honest, i'm not worried at all. He would be easy to beat."

And Froch's confidence is sky-high after a career-best performance in his last fight.

'The Cobra' traveled to Finland in November to out-box dangerous ex-IBF champion Arthur Abraham, who was the pre-fight favourite entering, over 12 rounds - shutting him out on two of the three scorecards (dropping only one round on the other) and regaining the World Boxing Council belt he'd lost closely to Mikkel Kessler earlier in the year.

"I pierced 'King Arthur' with the jab and rocked him with clubbing shots, and I could tell that he was surprised with my strength when I put the punches together," continued a man who is arguably Britain's pound-for-pound number one.

"Let me tell you this, Abraham can really punch," he candidly admitted. "But I took away his tools and broke his heart with my range and movement.

"Many were concerned about my mental game ahead of the fight but I was supremely confident in what I had in my bag.

"I knew from the outset I would be his worst nightmare and everyone will agree that I was."

Now Froch, 27-1 (20), has turned his attention to another former IBF champion, 67-fight (51 wins, two draws - 35 stoppages) Johnson, who once knocked out all-time great Roy Jones Jr and who went 1-1-1 with Sheffield's Clinton Woods in world title fights.  

The 33-year-old Englishman acknowledges that his veteran opponent, stopped only by Bernard Hopkins in a stellar 18-year paid career that has seen him cross swords with the elite, is getting better with every year that passes.

"Like a fine wine, this guy just gets better with age. He is now into his 40s [42] and as game as anyone can be.

"If anything, he is a better fighter today than he was ten years ago," said the Nottingham Forest fan of a fight that is set for May 21 but is still without a confirmed venue. "And his KO victory over Allan Green last year proved he is no push over.

"People assume I will be taking this man lightly but that would be unprofessional as he also knocked out a Roy Jones and was very close to giving [former WBC 12st 7lbs king, Chad] Dawson his first defeat.

"I've got a hit list: Johnson, [WBA 12st champ, Andre] Ward in the Super Six final, [the only man to beat Froch, Mikkel] Kessler and [ex-victim and current WBC light-heavyweight monarch, Jean] Pascal. Then i can retire knowing i cleaned up." 

Win 13 for Parker sets up title challenge

Duane Parker's 13th professional victory in Birmingham last night (February 28) has set him up for title action before the summer.

The measured Woodville light-middleweight negotiated his toughest-looking test to date, soundly out-boxing Leicester's dangerous, older, bigger and always-willing Simon Fleck over eight tough rounds. 

Referee Shaun Messer, who officiated throughout, marked Parker (pictured) a 78-75 winner.

Fleck, who once held handy Carl Drake to an eight-round draw, has seen better days but with 15 pro fights behind him (five wins and a draw, one stoppage) and an eight-year age advantage he was always likely to cause problems to a tall, improving stylist whose work off the jab has seen him concede only nine rounds out of a possible 74 since he made his paid bow in 2007.

Errol Johnson-trained Parker conceded four pounds in weight to the East Midlander (11st 3lbs to 11st 7lbs) but sharp, accurate punches kept him a step ahead, forcing Fleck to try and bore his way in an attempt to rough the former Burton ABC ace up on the inside.

But the unbeaten prospect stuck to what he knew best throughout the 16-minute contest and was delighted with win 13 from 13.

"I was pleased with my performance," said the blonde-haired 23-year-old from Derbyshire. "He was a tough, strong lad who kept coming forward.

"He tried to talk to me when things got close, egging me on to stand there and trade with him. But i stuck to my boxing and thought i won comfortably in the end. 

"It was just the fight i needed before going on  to longer distances."

And now there's talk of Duane meeting undefeated stablemate Jamie Ball, who captured the vacant Midland Area 11st strap with an eight-round KO victory over A.A. Lowe on Saturday night in Walsall.

Parker watched on from ringside for that fight and has no fear in meeting the Coseley southpaw, 11-0-1 (2), adding: "I watched him [Ball] on Saturday and, to be honest, i thought he boxed well against a tough lad who came to win.

"It would be a great fight for the Midlands - two unbeaten lads going at it for the title. That said, i'm confident of beating him and it would be great if it could happen in Burton."

But there was disaster for another ex-Burton ABC favourite, reigning British Masters super-middleweight champion Jonjo Finnegan, on Pat Cowdell's three-bout dinner show at Birmingham's Holiday Inn last night.

Finnegan was being lined up to headline a bumper bill in Burton in April but slipped to a shocking five-round stoppage defeat to Derby's unheralded Elvis Dube, who registered only his second win (both via the short route) in eight fights.

The 30-year-old former Irish title challenger controlled the majority of the action until Shinfield-handled Dube stepped on the pressure in the fifth and sent the Burton-based boxer tumbling to the canvas after a combination of solid-looking punches, leaving Mr Messer with no alternative but to stop matters with seven seconds left of the penultimate session.

Now 13-6-3, Finnegan's latest setback could raise serious questions over his future involvement in the sport.

Both were 12st 4lbs.

Derby's Luke Gallear (11st), who lost to headliner Parker in a cracking six-rounder two years ago, leveled his record up at 3-3-1 with a 59-55 six-twos points nod over Midlands-born, Wales-based gypsy hardman Billy Smith (10st 8lbs), a former Midland Area champion at 10st.