30 October 2009 – By Mark Doyle

Souleymane M’baye has been stripped of the European light-welterweight title after pulling out of his scheduled November 6 defence against Paul McCloskey at the Meadowbank Sports Arena in Magherafelt.

M’baye has been forced to withdraw because of a bicep injury and McCloskey will now meet Spaniard Daniel Rasilla for the vacant title in Derry.

Promoter Barry Hearn commented: “M’baye’s withdrawal is unfortunate but ultimately Paul just wants to get his hands on the European title and he still has the opportunity to do just that in front of his own fans.

“Rasilla jumped at the chance when it was offered to him. He obviously sees this as a massive opportunity, he’s been in the gym training so making the weight will not be an issue for him and he’s promised that Irish eyes won’t be smiling next Friday night.”

McCloskey’s trainer John Breen is adamant, though, that the change of opponent will have no affect on the undefeated Dungiven native.

“Remember, he went in at a weeks’ notice himself to stop Colin Lynes to win the British title so this won’t bother him at all,” he pointed out.

“Obviously it’s a no-lose situation for Rasilla, he’s coming in to the fight the same way Paul did against Lynes so it’s a massive chance for him but Paul has trained long and hard for this and he’ll be ready for anything on the night.

“I’ve always believed that Paul’s a World class fighter and winning the European title will be just another step on the road to him proving that.”

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28 October 2009 – By Mark Doyle

Former world champion Barry McGuigan is in no doubt that Carl Frampton, has the talent to make it all the way to the top and fully expects his protg to challenge for a British title inside the next 18 months.

Frampton only turned professional earlier this year but he has already racked up two victories, a second-round stoppage of Sandor Szinavel in June and a commanding unanimous points win over Yannis Lakrout last month.

The 22-year-old super-bantamweights next outing will be on the undercard of Paul McCloskeys European light-welterweight title showdown with Souleymane Mbaye in Derry on November 6 and McGuigan believes that those at ringside will be impressed by what they see from Frampton.

“Hes a phenomenal puncher,” the Clones Cyclone enthused. “He might only be a super-bantamweight but he punches like a welterweight and hes fabulously exciting to watch and I expect him to be in contention for the British title within 18 months.

“Carls a world class super-bantamweight and every time I watch him spar thats confirmed to me.

“Hes something really special and he has everything thats needed to succeed in the pro game. Hes a really exciting talent and I think hell prove that at the highest level.”

McGuigan has certainly been buoyed by the way in which Frampton, a former amateur star, has adapted to life in the paid ranks.

“Theres a major transition to be made from the amateur to the pro game,” he pointed out. “Theyre very different codes but its a very exciting journey for Carl.

“His style was already more suited to the pros but there are subtle, little things hes had to work on and they will take time to perfect but he has a tremendous boxing brain and hes getting good quality sparring against top pros.

“Right now, at this stage of his career. its all about getting Carl regular fights and the best sparring available. Hes already spent time in a lot of different training camps.

“Before his last fight he sparred the Commonwealth featherweight champ John Simpson and Im planning on having him spar the likes of Rendall Munroe and Jason Booth shortly.”

The McCloskey-M’baye bill in Derry will be live on Sky Sports and tickets priced 30, 60 and 90 are available from Ticketmaster, all usual outlets and the boxers on the bill. Contact Ticketmaster 0844 8472455 (0818 719300 from ROI), Box Office 01277 359900, Julie 07745698372, Emma 07703723074, Francie 07803282224 or Eurospar 02877741245.

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28 October 2009 – By Mark Doyle

Martin Lindsays manager, John Rooney Jnr., has revealed that the British featherweight champion was offered an IBF world title eliminator against Orlando Salido.

However, Rooney explained that he turned the bout down as he does not want to push Lindsay onto world level too soon, preferring instead to allow the 27-year-old Belfast native to concentrate solely on his appearance on the undercard of Paul McCloskeys European light-welterweight title clash with Souleymane Mbaye in Derry on November 6.

“At the minute, Martins just focused on putting in a good performance in Magherafelt,” Rooney explained. “Then he will have to defend the British title against Jamie Arthur (in January) and well weigh up our options again after that.

“Theres no rush in going for the world title. All that will come in time. For now, its about defending the British title and then looking at a possible European title shot because Martins well placed for all these opportunities now.”

And Lindsay is also refusing to get ahead of himself even though he now appears to be only two or three bouts away from a world title shot.

“To be honest, the only fight Im looking at right now is the fight in Magherafelt,” he insisted. “You can never look too far ahead in this game so you just have to focus on whats in front of you and as long as you keep winning then everything else falls into place.”

The McCloskey-M’baye bill in Derry will be live on Sky Sports and tickets priced 30, 60 and 90 are available from Ticketmaster, all usual outlets and the boxers on the bill. Contact Ticketmaster 0844 8472455 (0818 719300 from ROI), Box Office 01277 359900, Julie 07745698372, Emma 07703723074, Francie 07803282224 or Eurospar 02877741245.

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25 October 2009 – By Mick Devine

Oisin Fagan was back on familiar hunting grounds on Saturday night, the former Irish Light-Welterweight Champion beating veteran journeyman Johnny Greaves in a 6-round encounter at the National Stadium, Dublin, Ireland.

Greaves, the 40-fight veteran has fought all-comers, albeit lost to every prospect in the game. However, the East-London native knows how to fight and was not put off by the pro-Fagan supporters in Dublin on Saturday night, even showboating for the crowd at times. However, his showboating was short-lived. Fagan had most of his work done in the first 3 rounds, where he was catching the London southpaw with straight right-hands and left hooks.

In the latter rounds, Greaves used a nice uppercut which caught the aggressive Dubliner a couple of times as he came on the attack, but Fagan was never in danger and in the fifth round he had Greaves reeling from a series of over-hand rights.

Fagan sustained a cut from a head-butt in the second, which drew blood; however, the Irishman’s corner men had the situation under control and while the blood seeped from his eye, it never really posed a problem for “Gael Force”.

Fagan said, “Greaves was a tough kid. He’s been around the block a few times and has fought everybody in the game. His poor record is very misleading actually and with his experience, I can now see how he goes the distance with everyone. He hit me with his head on numerous occasions and funnily enough, one fan said to me that if he wore a glove on his head, he’d have beaten me easily, which just goes to show how fond he was of using it.

Anyway, a win is a win and even though I felt sluggish in there at Light-Welter, I am going to try to return to Lightweight to contend there for the remainder of my career and hope to secure a shot at the European title early next year, please God.”

The win brought Fagan’s record to 25 wins, 7 Losses, with 15 coming by way of knockout.

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22 October 2009 – By Mark Doyle

Sam Sexton is adamant that youth will triumph over experience when he and Martin Rogan meet again at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast next month.

Sexton claimed the Commonwealth heavyweight title from Rogan when the Irishman was ruled unable to continue in the eighth round of the pairs first meeting in May because of a badly swollen eye.

Rogan, though, claims that the stoppage was premature and was left lamenting his own mercy after failing to finish a clearly dazed Sexton earlier in the round, opting instead to urge referee Dave Parris to call a halt to proceedings.

The 38-year-old brawler has also claimed in the lead-up to the rematch that he feels that he is in the best shape of his life and is promising a knockout performance when he attempts to avenge the sole loss of his career on November 7.

However, Sexton says he has grown weary of Rogans pre-fight boasts.

“Martin keeps going on about how he feels like Peter Pan, but you’ve got to go with youth in this fight,” said Sexton.

“I made Rogan look like an old man the first time I met him and he hasn’t stopped moaning like one since.

“Let’s face it, he’s nearly 40 and once I’ve dealt with him the best thing for him to do will be retire and go to the park and feed the pigeons.

“I’ll run rings around him in Belfast and he won’t be able to keep up. I usually like to show respect to people who are older to me, but Rogan’s been doing my head in with all his griping about the first fight, so I can’t wait to shut him up. This time I’ll make sure he can’t say a word by knocking him out.”

Sexton, at just 25, also believes that an emphatic win will underline his status as the coming man in heavyweight boxing.

“For years the domestic scene has been dominated by fighters in their 30s, but right now there’s a new generation coming through and I’m leading the pack,” the Norwich native reasoned.

“In boxing terms, Martin is a grandad and he’ll need his pipe and slippers after I’ve given him a beating. After I’ve sent him packing I’ll finish off Williams once and for all, and then shut up Audley as well.”

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20 October 2009 – By Cormac Campbell

Martin Lindsay looks set to make the first defence of his British featherweight title against Welshman Jamie Arthur early next year.

The unbeaten Lindsay, 14-0, will first return to action against an unknown opponent on November 6 on the undercard of Paul McCloskeys European light-welterweight title fight with Souleymane M’baye.

Lindsay, last years Irish Boxing Prospect of the Year, claimed the British strap with a stunning stoppage victory over Paul Appleby in April at the Ulster Hall.

Arthur secured his crack with a points victory over Akaash Bhatia in June and purse bids expected before November 11. Irish-boxing.com had previously reported that Lindsay was to face Scotsman John Simpson, but the BBBC have stated on their website that:

“Due to John Simpson having contractual obligations to defend his Commonwealth Championship, the purse bids for this contest were cancelled. The Stewards decided to put out the purse bids for the following contest. MARTIN LINDSAY (Holder) v JAMIE ARTHUR.”

The contest must take place by the end of January 2010.

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15 October 2009 – By Mark Doyle

Paul McCloskeys trainer, John Breen, believes that Amir Khan would be the obvious target for the Dungiven native if he is successful in his bid for the European light-welterweight title next month.

McCloskey, who remains undefeated after 19 professional bouts, gave up the British title he claimed with a stunning stoppage win over Colin Lynes last December to secure a crack at Europes number one, Souleymane M’baye, whom he will meet at the Meadowbank Sports Arena, Magherafelt on November 6.

Breen is in no doubt that his charge will prevail and is also adamant that he would emerge triumphant in his proposed bout with WBA champion Khan.

“Khan is the obvious world title fight out there for Paul,” said Breen. “They both turned pro at around the same time and Ive always believed that Paul has the beating of Khan and when he wins the European title I think hell finally get an opportunity to prove that.

“Ive always said that Paul is world class so Ive no worries about him fighting for the European title.

“Mbayes an excellent fighter and hes been a World Champion himself and now he has the European title but I know what Pauls capable of and Mbaye wont get near him.

“Every time Paul has stepped up a level in his career hes handled it with ease and Ive no doubt hell do the same this time around.”

McCloskey, though, is refusing to underestimate the threat posed by the 34-year-old Mbaye.

“Hes very slick, durable and he can punch a bit himself,” the slick southpaw admitted. “Theres no doubt about it hes a world class operator, you dont win World titles without being world class.

“Hes only been beaten 3 times in 42 fights so you have to respect a record like that.

“But its a huge opportunity for me and winning the European title would set me up nicely for a shot at a world title.

“Im just focusing on Mbaye and becoming European Champion first. Once I win that then everything else will fall into place.”

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13 October 2009 – By Mark Doyle

Andy Lee will have his third outing in his native Limerick when he takes on European Union middleweight champion Affif Belghecham at the University Sports Arena on November 14.

Belghecham, 35, hails from Lyon in France and has won 19 of his 23 professional bouts to date, with just three defeats and one draw and Lee is expecting a difficult fight.

“Ive watched him in action and hes going to be a very tough opponent,” he said. “Hes the current European Union Champion and is coming into this fight on the back of some very good wins. Hes never been stopped so it could be a tough night but Im really looking forward to it.”

After claiming stoppage wins in his two previous appearances in his hometown, against Alejandro Falliga and Willie Gibbs, Lee is understandably excited by his imminent return to Limerick.

“Its great to be fighting at home again,” he enthused. “It always means that little bit more when youre fighting in your hometown. Ive always got tremendous support from the people of Limerick right from my amateur days they have always backed me 100 percent so Im always trying to repay that support.

“Even the week building up to a fight in Limerick is special because everyones wishing you luck and coming up to say hello and its great to have that kind of support. Then on the night you can pick out so many people in the crowd that you know and it really gives you that extra push.”

Lee is hoping that an impressive win over Belghecham will propel him towards a major title fight in the New Year. Indeed, the classy southpaw is particularly interested in what would be a mouth-watering match-up with European and British champion Matthew Macklin.

“Obviously that would be a big fight and it would be great if it happened but right now Im only concentrating on this fight,” he insisted.

“The European scene at Middleweight has really come to the fore recently and outside of Kelly Pavlik the other champions in the division, Felix Sturm, Sebastian Sylvester and Sebastian Zbik are all based in Germany so the Europeans are starting to dominate.”

Lees promoter, Brian Peters, is also confident that Lee is on the verge of securing some career-defining fights

“We tried to make a fight between Andy and John Duddy for next month and when that didnt come off we looked at a rematch with Brian Vera but unfortunately neither party was interested, he revealed.

“To Andys credit he was up for both of those fights and that shows you his mentality. He doesnt want any pushovers and hell certainly have his hands full with Belghecham because hes a quality operator and will provide Andy with a very stiff test but if he can come through this then Im sure there could be some massive fights around the corner for Andy.”

Details of the undercard for the University Sports Arena on November 14th will be announced shortly. Tickets for the Yanjing Fight Night priced from 40 will go on sale from Ticketmaster (phone 0818 719 300 or visit ticketmaster.ie) and all usual outlets from 9am tomorrow (Wednesday, October 14th)

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10 October 2009 – By Cormac Campbell

John Duddy got back to winning ways with a unanimous points victory over Jorge Munoz in New York on Saturday night.

The 30-year-old Derry star was on top for the duration of the eight round contests, getting the nod via score cards of 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73.

Duddy, who did have to deal with an early bleeding nose, elected to box rather than brawl in the contest and now looks forward to a new year clash with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr victory in which could secure a World Title fight.

In the meantime Duddy has been penciled in for a contest in Mexico next month.

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07 October 2009 – By John Knox

I dropped by Gleasons last week to see how James Moore is faring in his quest for boxing glory. He comes across as a personable, down-to-earth bloke with a great memory for every detail of his career (amateur and pro). His easygoing manner and unmarked face do not fit the stereotype of a hardened pug with a knack of dispatching the opposition before the final bell. But then stereotyping never does tell the real story, which is what I wanted.

So, among the usual background gym noise of grunts, thuds and whirring ropes, as well as the more unusual sight of two female world champions sparring a few metres away (only in Gleasons), Moore filled me in on the latest.

Q: Where would you like to see your career going over the next one or two years?

A: “Im thinking of going up to middleweight. Ive been struggling for the past year at junior middleweight so I think Ill move up now and see what happens from there.”

Q: What is your ideal fight now?

A: “Chavez (junior) would be a good one. Hes 40 and 0 with 30 knockouts but hes actually not that good. Hes been babyed along so that would be a good fight if I can get it.”

Q: Whats your career highlight so far?

A: “I fought at the Garden (Madison Square Garden]) in March 2008 against JC Candelo. He went the distance with Winky Wright and Verno Phillips and I beat him on points in a tough 10-round fight. Ive fought in the Garden three times and I’ve had three good results there so it’s almost like a home for me.”

Q: Did the Candelo fight go the way you thought it would?

A: “Not really, no. I thought he would have been trickier. I hit him with everything bar the kitchen sink for the first two rounds and he was still standing looking at me, it was kind of surprising. At first he hardly threw a punch and the first power punch he threw was in the third round when he got me with an uppercut and I saw every light on the ceiling in Madison Square Garden. It lifted my head right up. I knew then I wasnt going to get him so I just boxed the rest of the fight.”

Q: It sounds like an ideal learning fight.

A: “Thats what you want. You need fights like that to move up through the levels. A guy can have ten fights and have a lot more experience than a guy who’s had twenty. It all depends on who youre fighting.”

Q: Youre well known now and have a good following. You could be on the verge of something big…

A: “I fought Yuri Foreman for the NABF title and that was a world title eliminator. Hes fighting Daniel Santos in his next fight for the world title. In publicity circles I dont get the same headlines other fighters get but in the boxing world I would be considered a much more realistic fighter than a lot of other fighters making headlines and not really fighting anybody. Some guys have high-profile coaches who make up lies just to get their name in the paper and other guys have big PR teams. Ive never had any of that and I never wanted it either. Realistically I know how close I was to getting a world title fight.”

Q: How was the Foreman fight for you?

A: “I just couldnt catch him, he was too quick for me. I was looking to fight and everything was stacked against me. It was on a Top Rank card and we were in the biggest ring you could be in which was 22 square feet, which makes no sense when the main event that night was a 140-pound fight.”

Q: There is no secret about Foremans style, but was he faster than you anticipated?

A: “I think I gave him a bit of confidence in the early rounds. He caught me with a couple of shots and maybe his confidence went up. I was looking for one big punch instead of working [my way in] and trying to catch him. I did that throughout the fight and I didnt change (my style). In the eighth round I landed a pretty decent shot on him, he spat the gumshield out twice and the referee never even gave him a warning.”

Q: Do you fancy coming back and having one or two big fights at home?

A: “This is the problem. Of course Id love to go home but the reality is it makes no sense financially. At the end of the day its business, this is my job.”

Q: Take Neil Sinclair for example, thats a big fight. Do you not find it a bit unusual that promoters cant entice you over?

A: “I dont know. I mean theyre blaming the economy and everything else but theyre not bringing ticket prices down that much either. Sinclair would be a great fight and I’d love it to happen. But that’s up to the promoters. Frank Warren’s offer made no sense to fight Sinclair on the Rogan show in Belfast.”

Q: Are you pleased with the way your career has gone so far?

A: “Pretty much. Ive had my eye on the business end right from the start. A good friend of mine looks after the business. No matter what happens he always contacts me and lets me know (whats going on). Professional boxing is more a business than a sport. You have to keep your eye on everything and be sure to dot the Is and cross the Ts because promoters will do you over every chance they get.

“On one of my fights I was literally gloved up and ready to get in the ring and a revised contract came in because the opponent changed and they cut my purse in half. Can you imagine – its Madison Square Garden and youre standing there ready to go and the contract came in. What are you going to do. People had flown over from Ireland to watch the fight.”

Q: Do you see yourself staying in the sport a few more years?

A: “I dont know. The Foreman fight was my first run at a world title. I have to revise everything now and get another go at it. Every fight is for my career now.”

And that, as they say, is ‘the story’. During our chat I noticed Moore has a tattoo on his right forearm saying ‘One Life One Love’. It struck me that there was another ‘one’ James is after: one chance. I dont mean the ‘last chance saloon’ type either. His body language and obvious enthusiasm were too positive for that. The vibe I was getting was more along the lines of give me the big stage, I know what I can do.

One thing is for sure. If (make that when) he gets that chance the green flags will be out in force, whichever side of the Atlantic it happens.

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