ST CLAIR NOT WATSON NEXT FOR DERRY

WITH Merseyside fight fans waiting with baited breath for news of John Watson's proposed British lightweight title fight any thoughts of another derby day title clash have officially been put on hold.
 Derry Mathews will definitely not be in the opposing corner when Watson challenges for the soon to be vacated Lonsdale Belt on Saturday, February 12th - as he already his his eyes on the world stage.
 Less than a week after his IBO International title success against Scott Lawton at the Liverpool Olympia, the Mathews camp have confirmed they are already in extensive talks with Australian's former world champion Gairy St Clair.
 The Guyana-born St Clair held both the IBO and IBF super-featherweight belts back in 2006 and has mixed in solid world class throughout his well-travelled 54-fight career. His 42-10-2 record is littered with household names, including his brave challenge against Amir Khan in a Commonwealth title fight in London back in 2008, which went the full 10 rounds.

Derry Mathews proved he's got plenty left at the top level
with his revenge victory over Choi in Prizefighter recently

 He is a typical Ghanaian fighter, with a great chin and super work rate - an opponent that promoter Stephen Vaughan is convinced will appeal to Merseyside fight fans.
 The weekend of April 22nd/23rd has already been booked at the Olympia - which if all goes to plan would leave any prospect of a Mathews-Watson derby day showdown on hold until the summer at least.
 Coming back to Watson and the British Boxing Board of Control were expected to approve current champion Gavin Rees' plans to relinquish the belt in a meeting at their HQ in Cardiff today. Once approved promoters Matchroom Sports aim to confirm Watson's opponent for the mandatory challenge.
 Commonwealth super-middleweight champion George Groves has confirmed he will feature on the undercard in three weeks, but it will not be with a defence of his domestic title - rather an international eight-rounder.
 Former British title challenger Stevie Williams and Nick MacDonald are also included on the Sky Sports card -which should get signed off over the weekend.

Nick Peet

BELLEW WARNING FOR McKENZIE

Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion Tony Bellew has told Ovill McKenzie not to expect the same fighter he met last December.
"The Bomber" meets McKenzie again on Saturday 19th February at London's York Hall in a re-run of their thriller at the Echo Arena.
The 28-year-old puncher was floored in the first and second round before going on to stop the tough former Commonwealth champion in the eighth in one of the domestic fights of the year.
This time there is a lot more at stake with the British title on the line after Bellew's big rival Nathan Cleverly vacated the belt.
"If McKenzie is expecting the same the fighter that got in the ring with him then he's in for the shock of his life," said Bellew. "I made big mistakes in the first fight and I've been kicking myself that I made them, but this time you will see a much smarter and better fighter.

Bellew fights back against McKenzie in their first fight
at the Echo Arena in December. Pic by S Speed

"It was an exciting fight and I made it exciting by standing and trading with him, but that's not me and what I'm about.
"If you've got two big punchers in the ring and you stand and trade then one of you is going to come unstuck and that very nearly happened to me.
"I didn't win three ABA titles by just standing and trading, I've got a good boxing brain and good skills and I've got to get back to using them. Don't get me wrong, I will stand and trade and there will be times I have to do it, but I will do it on my own terms.
"Brains will overcome brawn this time and you will see the best of Tony Bellew."
Bellew will also have former amateur coach Mick McAllister, who guided him to those three ABA titles, back in his corner for the first time as a pro.
Chief support on the card is Southern Area heavyweight champion Larry Olubamiwo defending his title against John McDermott.
Also, 2006 Commonwealth Games champion Jamie Cox returns to action at light-middleweight, 2007 World Amateur Champion Frankie Gavin opens his new year campaign while Ronnie Heffron, Vinny Mitchell, Bradley Skeete, Ahmet Patterson, Billy Morgan and Freddie 'Luke' Turner complete the card.
* Tickets, priced £40 and £60, are available from Ticketmaster 0844 847 2500.

- Press Release, http://www.frankwarren.tv/

BELLEW RETURNS HOME

Commonwealth champion Tony Bellew has confirmed he will have a very familiar face in his corner when he makes the next defence of his light-heavyweight title at York Hall on Saturday 19th February.
 Rotunda ABC coach Mick McAllister, who was instrumental in guiding Bellew's amateur career, will be chief second in Bethnal Green when 'The Bomber' will face Ovill McKenzie in an immediate rematch of their December slug-fest.
 Bellew admits it was a tough decision leaving Manchester coach Anthony Farnell, especially as the pair had grown close over the Wavertree puncher's four-year pro career. But the travelling and time away from his young family was effecting his performances.
 After clocking up nine stoppages in 13 rather one-sided victories, Bellew has had to pick himself up off the canvas three times in his last two fights - painfully illustrating that something wasn't right in the camp.
 However, the champion insists the move back to his roots is more geographical than technical.

Bellew celebrates his latest defence with John
Conteh at the Echo Arena in December

 Bellew told Mersey Gloves: "I am grateful for the time and effort that Anthony Farnell has put in with me but I just feel the travelling was becoming a bit much and that I was not seeing enough of my two young boys. My family are my world and will always come first in every decision I will make."

 Bellew won three senior ABA heavyweight titles in a Rotunda club vest and, like so many other Merseyside fighters, holds veteran amateur coach McAllister in very high regard.

 The race is on now to get him licenced by the British Boxing Board of Control in time for the London title defence next month.

 The days of keeping amateur and professional boxing coaches completely separate are now, thankfully, a thing of the past. GB head coach Robert McCracken also works the corner of WBC super-middleweight champion Carl Froch, while closer to home the likes of Tony Quigley Snr, Peter McCormack and Franny Smith still work with amateur clubs.

 With a wealth of knowledge in Merseyside's amateur coaching set-up something tells us that this won't be the last professional star to go back to his roots in the coming months.

NICK PEET

Title fight rematch for Watson

JOHN Watson has landed an immediate rematch with domestic rival and Gavin Rees but will once again have to return to South Wales for the British title opportunity.
 The Merseyside stylist surendered his unbeaten professional record in November when he was stopped in the penultimate round against the former WBA world champion when the vacant Lonsdale Belt was at stake.
 Watson, 27, seemingly paid the price for a slow start in their first match-up and despite winning the majority of the middle rounds and having Rees out on his feet in the ninth, the teak-tough Welshman came on strong down the stretch and landed a fight-turning shot in the 10th round which swung the fight back in his favour.
 Watson, however, proved that he belongs in title class and has been rewarded for hi efforts with the immediate rematch, destined for the Recreation Centre inBridgend on February 12th.
* For a full interview wth John Watson don't miss the bumper January-February edition of Mersey Gloves - which also contains the 2010 Merseyside Fight Awards winner - which goes on sale next week.

DOUBLE DOMESTIC TITLE FIGHT DOUBLE!

DELIGHTED to hear Stephen Smith and John Simpson are going to go at it again early in the New Year in a Best of British double featherweight title unification scrap.
The British Boxing Board of Control have requested purse bids for the contest, which will be a rematch of September's Commonwealth title clash in Glasgow, which 'Swifty' won on points.
The Simpson camp remonstrated afterwards, but judging the fight from ringside that night there was only one winner.
However, Simpson bounced back in style and against the odds to defeat British champion Martin Lindsay in Belfast in what was arguably his career performance.
Any hopes of the fight taking place on Merseyside look remote though as the plucky Scot visited Liverpool back in 2007 only to lose a unanimous points decision to Smith's former training partner Derry Mathews during the former WBU champion's world title reign.
The Board has requested purse bids by February 9th, with the match-up to happen before the end of April.

Stephen Smith defeats John Simpson in Glasgow in September
Pic by Stephen Speed @ Mersey Gloves

Meanwhile, in another request, this time up at light-heavyweight, the BBBC have ordered British champion Nathan Cleverly to defend against Tony Bellew next. However, the Welshman will almost certainly vacate - if he hasn't already - as he chases world title honours thereby allowing Bellew to fight for the vacant title.

Manchester's Darren Stubbs is the latest name being linked with a Bellew showdown, with both the Commonwealth and British titles on the line, at York Hall at the end of February.

December Edition Welcome Message

GOOD day ladies and gentlemen, may I take this opportunity to wish you season’s greetings and also boast at what a ‘Christmas Cracker’ of an edition we have for you this month.
We’ve got ring and cage side reports from over a dozen shows packed into the next 26 pages along with an extensive preview pull-out supplement to the biggest professional boxing show to hit Merseyside this decade.
While the month of November was dominated by a series of local MMA stars in action inside the UFC Octagon, boxing fights back this month predominantly by the mouth-watering Echo Arena bill.
Promoter Frank Warren stages his 30th Anniversary show in Liverpool on December 11th with no less than seven live title fights at the King’s Dock arena, plus another beamed in live from Germany. It’s arguably the biggest show ever to be staged in the city so we’ve dedicated no less than six pages to interviews and features to provide our readers the best inside track ahead of the big night.
Of course, our focus is on the true main event; the British super-middleweight title fight between our very own Paul Smith and Olympian James DeGale. We hope that the whole city, like ourselves, get right behind the champion and he tops off what looks to be an incredible night’s action.
Also in this issue we review Martin Murray and Derry Mathews’ recent title adventures, help to welcome Steven Vaughan back to the ring and also preview flyweight Paul Edwards’ upcoming British title challenge.
Our amateur pages are dedicated to live reports from the recent GB Championships, while we also finally catch up with junior golden girl Sarah Rostron.
MMA boomed in November and so we also have pictures and reports from Germany, Detroit and from our very own OMMAC show as the region’s kings of the cage signed off the year in some style. Rampage Jackson and Paul Kelly dazzling once more in the US, Mark Scanlon picking up a Fight of the Night bonus on his debut in Europe and a wave of future stars capturing the imagination at home.
Throw in a Stars of the Stadium look at welterweight great Ernie Roderick plus our much talked about letters page and it’s clear to see why we are so excited about this edition.
Also, don’t miss our New Year edition, which goes on sale mid-January, and includes the 2010 Merseyside Fight Awards.

Enjoy the edition . . .

Welcome

Welcome to Mersey Gloves. Here you will find the editors blog.