UK News: Jeffries Trains With Mayweather; Tony Bellew; Michael Jennings

TONY JEFFRIES broke off from his holiday last week to spend a day under the watchful eyes of boxing’s most famous family, the Mayweathers. The Sunderland super-middleweight has spent the last three weeks backpacking around Brazil and North America with fiancée Sara Kneeshaw. But when the pair reached Las Vegas, ‘Jaffa’ couldn’t resist an invite to team up with the controversial clan at their gym last Thursday (Aug 20). Jeffries, 24, who bids for his fourth consecutive win at Seaburn Centre on October 16 explained: “I have a friend who knows one of the coaches and he invited me down. “I got down there and was introduced to Floyd Jnr and his dad and spent a bit of time with them..

“Roger Mayweather then came in and watched while I did a good workout for about 20 or 30 minutes.

“Afterwards I sat down with Roger and he gave me some really good advice about what top boxers should and shouldn’t do.”

The Olympic bronze medallist is now back in the gym working under trainer Bobby Rimmer preparing for his hometown fight.

Knockout artist Jeffries added: “Roger is a mad character, but was great to listen to and I’ll use some of his tips in the gym.

“I have been busy and it was nice to give my body a rest with the holiday and now I am raring to go and get working with Bobby and Kerry Kayes.”

Also on the bill is possible future rival Darren Sutherland (4-0), who like Jeffries faces selected European opposition on the Sky televised show.

Dubliner Sutherland also won a bronze medal in Beijing last August and has stopped all of his professional opponents.

Heading the quality bill is a British super-bantamweight title defence by Jason Booth (33-5) who faces Hartlepool’s former European champion Michael Hunter.

Booth, 31, will be having his 17th major title contest and making the second defence of the championship he won against Mark Moran in April.

Tickets priced £35 and £90 are available from 0871 226 1508, Phil Jeffries 0191 564 0202 and www.frankmaloney.com.

BELLEW AIMS HIGH

Rising star Tony Bellew says he wants to follow in the footsteps of fellow Scousers Paul Smith and Tony Quigley and top a blockbuster bill at the Liverpool Echo Arena.

Smith and Quigley will fight it out for the British super-middleweight crown on October 30 in front of thousands of fans on Merseyside.

And unbeaten hot-shot Bellew is keen for a title fight of his own next year.

The 26-year-old is part of the Echo Arena undercard and will feature in an eight rounder as he looks to maintain his unbeaten record.

Before his Liverpool appearance, Bellew will box in an eight-rounder against Nick Okoth on Frank Warren’s annual DebRA Fight Night on September 18 in London.

The three-time ABA heavyweight champion is 9-0 as a professional, and has knocked out six of his opponents.

He will be joined on the card by fellow Liverpudlian prospects Steven and Liam Smith – Paul’s younger brothers – as well as unbeaten Joe Selkirk.

Kell Brook’s British welterweight title defence against Michael Jennings is joint top of the bill.

“Ever since this show was announced, everyone in Liverpool has been talking about it,” said Bellew.

“We are a proud boxing city, but in the last few years, there’s not been many big events up here.

“All that has changed now with this event at the Echo Arena, and it’s an amazing night to be part of.

“Hopefully it’s the first of many massive shows, because we’ve got the talent and the fans up here to make it happen.

“I’m desperate to get my hands on a title, and I’d love to fight for a Lonsdale belt on a big show like this.

“I’m probably only a couple of fights away from doing that, and I really want tough opponents now to challenge myself and prove to everyone that I’m ready.”

Tickets priced at £30 (Tier), £40 (Tier), £50 (Tier), £100 (Floor), £150 (Floor) and £200 (Ringside) are available from:

Liverpool Echo Arena
0844 8000 400
www.accliverpool.com

Ticketmaster
0844 847 2500
www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Frank Warren Promotions
01992 550 888
www.frankwarren.tv

Jennings: I’ll Beat Brook For Second World Title Shot

British Welterweight title challenger Michael Jennings says that victory against Kell Brook will propel him towards another world title shot. And the 31-year-old is desperate to get back to that level after tasting the big time against top pound-for-pounder Miguel Cotto earlier this year. In February in the States, Jennings was halted by Cotto in the fifth round in a challenge for the WBO World welterweight title. But it hasn’t taken long for another big fight to come around, with Jennings challenging British rival Kell Brook at the Liverpool Echo Arena on October 30.

Brook’s makes the fourth defence of the Lonsdale belt in a War of the Roses, a belt Jennings held until he was controversially beaten by Young Mutley in January 2006.

“Every fight is a big fight for, whether it is an eight rounder or a world title, but this is obviously important ,” said Chorley’s Jennings.

“I want to be back up there challenging for world titles again, and if I beat Kell, the chances of that happening greatly improve.

“It was a great experience fighting Cotto, and even though I lost, I took a lot from the defeat.

“He caught me with a couple of good body shots, and I have gone back to the gym and worked on that to make sure I don’t get hit with those kind of punches again.

“It was no disgrace to lose to Cotto because he is one of the best fighters in the world at the moment.

“Anyone could have got beaten in the same way that I did, and it might happen to Manny Pacquiao when they fight later this year.”

Jennings also says that he didn’t contemplate retiring after his loss to the Puerto Rican.

“I went to the press conference afterwards and stated then it was always my intention of carrying on, and I was straight back into the gym.

“I’m only 31 and I’ve been beaten twice, once by a world class fighter and once when I thought I should have got the decision.

“Some people think that Kell Brook only has to turn up to beat me, but I bring a lot to the table and I am very experienced.

“He’s been beating everyone who has been put in front of him recently, and the Board of Control have been approving them as opponents, so full credit to him, but I’m the most experienced man he’s faced.”

Tickets priced at £30 (Tier), £40 (Tier), £50 (Tier), £100 (Floor), £150 (Floor) and £200 (Ringside) are available from:

Liverpool Echo Arena
0844 8000 400
www.accliverpool.com