Commonwealth featherweight title challenger Stephen Smith says his band-of-brothers are Liverpool’s best foursome since The Beatles. Smith challenges Scottish hardman John Simpson for the crown on September 4 in Glasgow at the world famous Kelvin Hall. It forms part of the undercard to Ricky Burns’ WBO World super-featherweight title challenge against Roman Martinez live on Sky Sports 1. And if 24-year-old Stephen needs any help in preparing, he can turn to siblings Paul, Liam and Callum. Paul is the current British super-middleweight champion, Liam is unbeaten as a professional, while Callum is a standout amateur..
“We definitely want to be bigger than The Beatles,” joked 2006 Commonwealth gold medalist Smith.
“Kelvin Hall is going to be my Cavern Club on September 4. The venue where I announce myself as a major talent.
“Three things make people tick on Merseyside – music, football and boxing, and I want to come back from Scotland a hero
“I’m going to give Simpson a Hard Day’s Night when I fight him.
“I respect him as a champion because you only have to look at some of the British fighters he has beaten to know that he is one hell of a tough guy.
“But I fought and defeated better fighters than him when I was an amateur.
“Obviously it is different without a head-guard on and knowing that you have to fight over 12 rounds.
“But I am full of confidence going into this fight.
“I’m unbeaten as a professional and I want to go in there and show everyone what I can do.
“I’ve watched the progress of Paul, and it was a real buzz seeing him win the British title.
“Hopefully after I have beaten Simpson I can get the Lonsdale belt as well, just like Paul.”
Roman Martinez v Ricky Burns for the WBO Super-Featherweight Championship of the World headlines a top quality card that also features John Simpson defending his Commonwealth Featherweight title against Stephen Smith, plus former British Featherweight Champion Paul Appleby and welterweight John Thain.
Tickets, priced at £40, £50, £75 & £150, are available from Morrison’s Gym on 0141 554 7777 and Ticket Scotland on 08444 155 221.
Matthew Marsh: Notes From Training Camp
Former British Super Bantamweight champion Matthew Marsh, who is to fight Kris Hughes for the vacant Commonwealth (British Empire) belt at the Rainton Meadows Arena, Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear on Friday 23rd July, has decided to stay in London for his pre-fight training camp.
With just over three weeks to go until the big fight, Marsh has been making the short trip from his home in West Ham to the Ultrachem TKO gym in Canning Town to be put through his paces by co-trainers, Johnny Eames and Derek Grainger.
Marsh, who normally would go to the TKO training camp in Tenerife, explained the reason he decided to stay in the UK, “We talked about it but decided to stay here as we were already sort of in camp. We were originally training for a non-title fight at the end of June. It was going so well we decided to stick at it here for the fight with Kris Hughes.
We already had regularly sparring set up with Ian (former European Bantamweight Champion Ian ‘Dappa’ Napa), Dean (Dean Byrne), George (George Jupp) and Ian Bailey and it’s been really good. We’ve added a couple of southpaws now as Kris Hughes is a southpaw. So you can see I’m getting lots of good sparring in.
Training’s going really, really well. I feel ready now, you know. I just want to get in there.”
Marsh’s manager and co-trainer Johnny Eames then gave his views on how the official first week in camp has been going, “Matthew’s touched on the reason we didn’t go away to camp. We originally trained for a six round fight at the end of June. When this got changed to a title fight on the 23rd July we were already sort of three quarters into our training. All’s going well, he’s weight’s fine. Sparring’s been going great. Obviously now we have a different opponent and stance we have employed two really, really good southpaws to help us out with it.
Our sports scientist and conditioner have now come into play. It’s all on target. While we prefer going away, this one there really is no need, everything we need to do can be done here. Matthew’s coming into the gym twice a day, doing his boxing training at one time and his conditioning at another. Everything’s the same as if we were abroad at training camp.
He’s on target and hopefully he’ll beat Kris Hughes on the night.”
Matthew Marsh versus Kris Hughes for the vacant Commonwealth title is at the Rainton Meadows Arena, Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear on Friday 23rd July 2010, Supporting headline fight Marsh vs Hughes at the Frank Maloney promoted event will be the British Bantamweight Title bout between Stuey Hall and Martin Power.
Also on the Sky Sports televised show will be Nigel Wright versus Dean Harrison for the English Light Welterweight title and Tony Jeffries versus International Masters Light Heavyweight champion Michael Banbula in a non-championship bout. Other support bouts to be announced.
MCDONNELL TIPPED FOR BIG FUTURE
FRANK MALONEY believes Jamie McDonnell could be world title bound after springing two major upsets this year.
McDonnell, 24, has hometown advantage when he makes the first defence of his European bantamweight crown against Italian Rodrigo Bracco (11-2) at Doncaster Dome on Friday (July 2).
The fast rising Yorkshire ring star (14-2) shocked Ian Napa to become British and Commonwealth champion in January and caused an even bigger sensation two months later travelling to France and knocking out Jerome Arnould to snatch the Euro belt.
Maloney said: “I have been completely won over by Jamie’s displays against Napa and Arnould. He looks a top prospect, is fit and improving with every fight.
“I will be startled if he doesn’t get voted Britain’s Young Boxer of the Year in a few months time after his recent performances.
“There are some tremendous bantamweights around at world level, but they are all beatable.
“WBC and WBO champion Fernando Montiel is the standout, but he has lost a couple times and has been around for about 15 years.”
McDonnell has just gatecrashed the WBC top 20 and is primed for a top ten spot in their rankings later this year if he defeats Bracco and then mandatory challenger Carmelo Ballone who is ranked eighth by the world governing body.
Maloney added: “Although Jamie will not be overlooking Bracco, he has the beating of Ballone who I have put on before.
“In recent years Duke McKenzie and Robbie Regan have held the WBO belt and next year I believe Jamie can emulate them and become a world champion.”
In the chief supporting bout former England Under-21 football international Curtis Woodhouse (13-1) faces McDonnell’s trainer Stefy Bull (29-6-1) in what promises to be a ten round light-welterweight battle.
There are still some tickets left priced £35 and £70 from www.frankmaloney.com and 0871 226 1508
McDONNELL TO BATTLE BRACCO FOR EUROPEAN BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE THIS WEEKEND ON GFL FOR FREE
NEW YORK / YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND (July 2, 2010)—This Friday night at the Doncaster Dome in Yorkshire, England, Jamie McDonnell will make the first defense of his European Bantamweight title in front of his hometown fans when he takes on Rodrigo Bracco of Italy in a bout scheduled for twelve rounds and the bout, along with a eight bout undercard will be streamed on www.gofightlive.tv
The fights will be available on Saturday July 3rd at 12:30 am eastern time and will be available FREE of charge just by clicking: http://www.gofightlive.tv/showEvent.do?eventId=730
McDonnell has a record 14-2-1 with six wins coming by knockout and he won the crown in his last bout as he stopped Frenchman Jerome Arnould (22-3-1) in ten rounds in Arnould’s homeland in France.
McDonnell has won six straight fights which also includes his exciting split decision over Ian Napa back on January 22nd for which McDonnell captured both the British and Commonwealth Bantamweight titles.
Bracco of Italy has a record of 11-2 with five knockouts.
This will be Barcco’s first fight outside his native land and has won two straight bouts which includes his last bout when he won the Italian Bantamweight title with a tenth round stoppage over previously undefeated Pio Antonio Nettuno on March 19th.
The ten round co-feature will be a Jr. Welterweight bout between Curtis Woodhouse taking on Stefy Bull.
Woodhouse has a record of 13-1 with eight knockouts and has won three in a row by knockout.
The Yorkshire resident is coming off a fourth round stoppage over Maurycy Gojko on April 25th.
Bull is a veteran of thirty-six bouts and has produced an impressive record of 29-6-1 with seven knockouts.
Bull is also a Yorkshire resident and has won four straight with his latest victory being a second round stoppage over Dean Hickman (15-6-1) on May 21st.
The rest of the card as Follows:
6 Rounds – Jr. Welterweights—Scott Haywood (20-5-1, 4 KO’s) vs. Rick Godding (11-0, 1 KO)
6 Rounds – Flyweights- Usman Ahmed (6-3-1) vs. Luke Wilton (7-2-1, 3 KO’s)
4 Rounds – Welterweights – Steven Swinburn (0-0-1) vs. Joe Smith (0-1)
4 Rounds – Heavyweights – Damian Campbell (PD) – Lee Swaby (25-25-2, 11 KO’s)
4 Rounds – Jr. Welterweights – Tommy Coyle (4-0, 1 KO) vs. Daniel Thorpe (23-103-3, 9 KO’s)
4 Rounds – Jr. Welterweights – Chad Gaynor (3-0. 2 KO’s) vs. Johnny Greaves (2-50, 1 KO)
4 Rounds – Middleweights – Liam Cameron (4-0, 1 KO) vs. Dee Mitchell (9-7, 2 KO’s)
The card is promoted by Frank Maloney Promotions and this is the second show in as many weekends that a Frank Maloney Promotions show has been streamed on www.gofightlive.tv
“We had a lot of great feedback and views on the Tyson Fury – John McDermott rematch”, said David Klarman, president of www.gofightlive.tv
“Frank Maloney has been one of the great promoters in all of Europe and puts on great fights and we hope to be able to show the fans around the world these great fights that will take place this weekend and beyond.”