DARREN SUTHERLAND will have his next fight at George Carnall Centre Manchester M41 7FJ. The Irishman, 27, was due to box in Sunderland on Friday night, but suffered a slight cut on his right cheek in his stoppage win over Gennadiy Rasalev last week. Promoter Frank Maloney said: “It was touch and go whether Darren boxed on Friday, but we decided not to take the risk. “I have one other show this month and Darren can go on that before taking a well earned summer rest..”
Internet reports claimed Sutherland was pulled off the Sunderland bill straight after the Rasalev fight.
But Maloney hit back: “That is utter rubbish and those stories didn’t come from Darren or any of his team.
“The decision was made on Monday when I returned from a business trip to Portugal and had there not been the show in Manchester, I may well have left Darren on in Sunderland.”
The Olympic bronze medallist’s opponent when he bids for his fifth straight win will be named next week.
Top of the action packed card is Jamie Moore’s European light-middleweight title defence against Frenchman Jimmy Colas
On the same FTM bill hard-hitting Gary Davies puts his British bantamweight title on the (9-2-1) line for the first time, when he faces top class Londoner Ian Napa (18-7)
Tickets for the Leight show are available at £90 and £45 from all fighters, 0871 226 1508 and www.frankmaloney.com. Those who buy from the website will receive a discount.
DeGALE SURE OF ASHES SUCCESS
James DeGale is backing England’s cricketers to win back the Ashes – after sparring with the squad a fortnight ago.
“Chunky” reckons that Andrew Flintoff, Kevin Pietersen and the rest of the team will hit the Aussies for six when cricket’s oldest contest begins in Cardiff on Wednesday.
“Having sparred with the boys a few weeks ago, I know how fired up they are,” said DeGale, who faces a test of his own when he takes on former Irish champion Ciaran Healy in Manchester on July 18.
“If they go after the Australians like they came after me, then there’s no doubt they will win the series 5-0!
“I’ll be keeping a close eye on the Ashes all through the summer, and I’ll take an hour off from training on Wednesday morning to watch the opening exchanges.
“I won’t be able to see much of the first two tests because I’ll be preparing for the Healy fight, but I’m planning on getting to Lords for the Sunday of the second match – it will be a nice way to celebrate win number three.”
DeGale, who fights as part of the undercard to Amir Khan’s WBA light-welterweight title challenge against Andreas Kotelnik at the MEN Arena, is keen for title fights having seen the way the sporting public crave success.
“I still remember the buzz around the country when England won the Ashes in 2005,” said the 23-year-old, who is undefeated in his first two professional fights.
“The reaction last year when I won the Olympics was not quite as big, but it made me proud to know that the country had been behind me.
“Having tasted that success it’s made me want more of it, and my sights are now set on becoming a world champion.”
Betfred, the official betting parter of the show, has Khan is the favourite at 8/15 in the main event, Kotelnik at 6/4 and the draw is 25/1. For further information log on to www.betfred.com
Tickets priced at £40, £50, £75, £100, £150, £200, £300 & £500 are available from:
M.E.N Arena Box Office: 0844 847 8000 or online at www.men-arena.com
JEFFRIES ON THE RECEIVING END OF SHAK-ATTACK
TONY JEFFRIES was last night accused of being a pampered fighter.
The Olympic bronze medallist was on the receiving end of a verbal salvo from Ilya Shakuro, who boxes ‘Jaffa’ at Sunderland’s Seaham Centre on Friday (10/7) in a six rounder light-heavyweight battle.
Speaking through his interpreter Belarusian Shakuro (2-1) said: “Jeffries doesn’t have the same hunger that I have.
“How can he? He did well at the Olympic Games and earned a big money contract from some promoter. I just exist from day to day.
“He is spoilt and when it comes to the late stages of our fight he will not want to know.”
Jeffries, 24, has romped to quick fire wins in his first two professional fights. On his debut he stopped Shakuro’s close friend Aliaksandr Vayavoda.
The mouth of Minsk added: “I haven’t seen the Vayavoda fight but he was angry when he came back to our gym.
“He told me that the English referee jumped into far too quickly and that Jeffries’ punches were nothing.
“If I win this fight I might get more big fights against so called prospects and finally make some money for myself.”
In the Sunderland bill topper Bristol southpaw Lee Haskins (18-2) defends his British super-flyweight title against Sheffield’s serving soldier Ross Burkinshaw (6-1-2).
The cream of boxing talent in the north-east will also box on the card including local heavyweights Dave Ferguson and Danny Hughes. Newcastle’s fighting brothers John Lewis Dickinson and Travis Dickinson are also in action.
For those of you who can’t get hold tickets when the show is sold-out, you can watch all the action live and exclusive on Sky Sports
There are a few tickets priced £80 and £40 left. You can get yours from 0871 226 1508, www.frankmaloney.com and Phil Jeffries 0191 564 0202