Birmingham hot-shot Frankie Gavin has promised to dish out some revenge for the Irish when he takes on French opponent Samir Tergaoui. Gavin, who’s parents are from Tipperary, was left gutted last week when Thierry Henry’s handball to set up Williams Gallas’ extra-time winner sent Ireland crashing out of the World Cup. The 23-year-old takes on the hard-hitting Frenchman Tergaoui – who has seven KO wins inside three round – on December 5th at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle on Amir Khan’s undercard. “I’m going to smash Tergaoui up for the people of Ireland who feel the same about the French as I do at the moment,” fumed Gavin, Britain’s first ever world amateur champion. “This won’t make up for missing out on the biggest football tournament in the world, but it will make me feel a lot better after I’ve knocked him out,.”
“I don’t normally need anger to get me geared up for a fight, but this fight has really got me going and I can’t wait to set about him a week on Saturday,”
“He looks like a good strong kid and he can punch so I’m looking forward to testing myself against him.”
Gavin has won all four of his fights by stoppage since turning pro earlier this year and says that he has been hitting harder than ever.
“My trainer Anthony Farnell reckons I’m punching twice as hard than when I first started in the gym and I can only get faster and stronger,”
“I think I’ve made the transition to the pros very well and I’m settling in nicely and learning all the time.”
Remaining tickets are available from:
Metro Radio Arena
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www.metroradioarena.co.uk
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Barker looking for Super Six of his own
Unbeaten Middleweight “Dazzling” Darren Barker admits he’s been casting an envious eye towards the Super Middleweight division and the exciting new Super Six World Boxing Classic.
Barker’s stable mate and reigning WBC World Champ Carl Froch is one of the “Super Six” battling it out for Super Middleweight superiority and Barker says it’s a tournament that excites him as a boxer and a boxing fan.
Barker is the reigning Commonwealth Middleweight title holder and he will attempt to add the British title to his already impressive resume on Saturday when he clashes with former champ Wayne Elcock at the Brentwood Centre.
The Hennessy Sports event is live on ITV4 from 7:30pm and Barker believes a win can set him on course to follow in Froch’s footsteps in 2010. “This is a massive fight for me and when you look at Wayne’s pedigree and experience you’d have to say it’s my biggest test to date but I’m ready for it,” said Barker.
“Winning a British title has been a dream of mine since I started boxing but I have World title ambitions as well and hopefully that’s something I can look at next year.”
Barker has sparred countless rounds with Froch as well as a stint sparring Mikkel Kessler, the Danish hero who also features in the Super Six tournament. “I know from sparring top fighters like Froch and Kessler that I can compete at the highest level, that’s where I want to be and I feel I’m ready for anyone now.
The Chelsea fanatic says he would relish a Super Six tournament at Middleweight. “The Super Six has been terrific for boxing and I think it will rejuvenate the sport in the same way the Champions League did for football. I’d love if there was one at Middleweight that I could be part of. It’s all about the best fighting the best and that’s what the fans want to see and as a boxer they are exactly the kind of fights you want to be involved in.”
Barker’s clash with Elcock on Saturday headlines an action packed night of Championship boxing at the Brentwood Centre. Colchester’s Lee Purdy makes the first defence of his Southern Area Welterweight title against Mark Douglas while the undercard action also includes the return of Waltham Abbey Super Middleweight Daniel Cadman following a three year hiatus while exciting light middleweight Yassine El Maachi also features alongside unbeaten prospects Bobby Ward, Phill Fury and Steve Barnes.
Tickets for the bout priced £30 and £80 are available from the Ticketline box office on 0844 888 4402 or via www.ticketline.co.uk.
Price And Dallas Become Spar Mates
HEAVYWEIGHT hopes David Price and Tom ‘The Bomb’ Dallas will be double trouble when they have their next professional fights. The big-hitting pair will both be in action at The Newport Centre on Friday December 11 when they bid to extend their unbeaten records. The former amateur rivals have been whipping each other into shape with some tough sparring sessions in London this week. Liverpool’s 6ft 8in Olympic bronze medallist Price (3-0) outpointed Dallas (7-0) in the 2006 ABA super-heavyweight final, but has travelled to capital to train alongside his FTM stable-mate this week.
Promoter Frank Maloney plans to put broadcast their sparring sessions up on www.frankmaloney.com at the weekend.
He said: “The sparring sessions are sensational and better than plenty of heavyweight fights that you see.
“The sparring on Tuesday night was the best fight I have seen in a British ring this year and when they finish the week off the sessions will be on the internet.
“It has convinced me that David and Tom are the best two heavyweight hopes in Britain, and I am looking at ways of developing them further.
“Obviously I want to speak to their training teams, but I reckon a couple weeks training in a tough American gym will further their progress.”
Dallas, 24, is already being pushed up in class and faces Sheffield man mountain Carl Baker, the recent Prizefighter conqueror of Danny Williams on the South Wales bill.
Maloney added: “I don’t see any reason why Tom will not be fighting British title eliminators next year and a win over Baker will show he is for real.”
Price is also spending time this week with sport’s physiologist Joe Dunbar, one of Britain’s top experts in his field.
Dunbar is best known for his work with former undisputed world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and several football teams including Aston Villa, Charlton Athletic and QPR.
Top of the bill in Newport is the double title fight between Bristol’s British super-flyweight champion Lee Haskins (19-2) and Birmingham’s Commonwealth king Don Broadhurst (11-0).
Tickets are available £30 and £70 from 0871 226 1508 and www.frankmaloney.com