Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion Sam Sexton reckons he has already won the first battle against Martin Rogan before he steps into the ring with him on October 9th at Belfast’s Odyssey Arena. Sexton met head-to-head with Rogan yesterday for the first time since their fight in May to promote the rematch, and the Belfast brawler was still fuming about the controversial ending that saw the fight halted by the referee in the eighth round just after Sexton had spat out his gumshield. At yesterday’s volatile press conference Rogan repeatedly smashed his fists on the table and launched into a verbal tirade against the Norwich man..
Sexton said, “Rogan has got a screw loose up top and I think I’ve got him wound up so much that he’s doesn’t know what he’s doing or saying,”
“He was just plain crackers, banging the table with his hands and rambling on and on about wanting to crush me and paint me on the canvas,”
“At one point his mouth was foaming up and I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head!”
“Boxing is about controlled aggression and if he’s lost it at a press conference then he’s going to lose it again on October 9th and I’m going to be in control,”
“I read in the press that I was left shaken afterwards which made me laugh, I came away feeling that had a scored a big victory,”
“Rogan is a bully, he tried to bully me in the fight and didn’t work, he tried to bully me at the press conference and it didn’t work. A bully gets what he deserves and that’s a good pasting,”
He added, “Now our press conference is out of the way I don’t have to see him until October so I can just concentrate on my training and get myself in the best shape ever.”
*Watch a clip of the press conference at: http://www.u.tv/UTVMediaPlayer/Default.aspx?vidid=123825&chapid=101604&arti_id=c3d3f7af-7602-4343-b460-38978166f49e*
Sexton: “I’ll Have Rogan for Breakfast”
Fresh from tackling a monster fry-up, Commonwealth Heavyweight boxing Champion Sam Sexton has vowed to have rival Martin Rogan for breakfast. The pair meet in a mouth-watering rematch on October 9 at the Odyssey Arena, Belfast, following their thriller at the same arena in May. Sexton snatched Rogan’s belt with a controversial late stoppage following an all-out war.
To celebrate his win, Sexton chomped his way through a big breakfast cooked by his step-mum at her Norwich cafe – with the meal containing enough calories to last him a week.
But now the 25-year-old admits he’s got a lot more on his plate ahead of his showdown with Rogan.
“After eating four jumbo sausages, five bacon rashers, a large breast of chicken, 6oz of chips, a tin of baked beans, seven onion rings and a couple of burgers, knocking out Rogan should be a piece of cake!” said Sexton.
“But I know Martin is going to be motivated ahead of our rematch and he’ll be train twice as hard to rip that title away from me.
“I know all of Rogan’s fans thought I got lucky in Belfast but the result will be the same.
“I’ll go into the trenches again and I’ll stop him again as well.
“I know exactly how to beat him now, and as long as I don’t do anything stupid then I’m going to win this fight more easily than I won the last one.”
However Rogan, 37, has scoffed at Sexton’s confidence.
“He may be able to eat a lot but that’s only because he’s got a big mouth,” said the Irishman.
“Anyone who saw our fight knows that Sexton was out on his feet and ready to go when I got pulled out because of a swollen eye.
“I was one punch away from victory, and I certainly didn’t feel like a loser when I left the ring.
“Sexton is going to be toast when I catch up with him on October 9, and fans are going to be in for a treat because I won’t be holding back if I’ve got him in trouble.
“I was too nice last time out but I’m planning on a ruthless, knockout performace in October.”
Tickets, priced at £25 (tier), £30 (tier), £40 (central tier), £60 (floor), £100 (floor) and £150 (ringside) are available from:
Odyssey Arena Box Office
02890 739 074
www.odysseyarena.com
Ticketmaster
0870 243 4455
www.ticketmaster.ie
Frank Warren Promotions
01992 550 888
www.frankwarren.tv