No opponent for Haughian

24 March 2010 – By Steve Wellings

Lurgan welterweight Stephen Haughian will not be fighting this weekend, following the cancellation of his trip to America. The 25-year-old was pencilled in to a New York card but after several prospective opponents got cold feet Stephen was left without a guaranteed slot.

“I’m disappointed that it fell through after two months of hard training,” lamented Haughian.

“It was Brian Burke’s first show and he had tried to tempt four or five opponents to fight me but when they saw my record [18-1-1] they wanted more money. John will be lobbying the board for a British title fight and an eliminator would be a big step in the right direction for me.

Trainer John Breen will surely be keeping an eye on John O’Donnell’s current situation. Haughian was hoping to meet the Commonwealth champion last year but the bout failed to materialise. O’Donnell’s position has been cast in doubt following the Commonwealth Council’s decision to consider his status as champion.

As for the American excursion, with flight costs and a stringent purse on offer it could have turned out to be an extremely costly trip for Haughian who will now be seeking opportunities closer to home.

“I’m back in the gym and determined not to let all the hard work I’ve put in go to waste,” he added.