TONY JEFFRIES will face the toughest test of his short professional career when he boxes Belarusian light-heavyweight champion Artem Solomko on Friday (16/10) ‘Jaffa’, 24, has romped to three quick-fire wins since switiching codes following his glorious bronze medal at last year’s Olympics. And he hopes to delight his hometown fans and Sky TV viewers when he tackles Solomko at Sunderland’s Seaburn Centre. Solomko (10-17) won his national crown in May, easily outpointing Dmitry Adamovich over ten rounds. The Minsk man is durable and hasn’t been stopped since a four round cuts defeat to former European cruiserweight champion and two time world title challenger Pietro Aurino in June 2005..
Promoter Frank Maloney: “British fighters are molly coddled because they learn nothing blowing people away and this a decent test.
“Jeffries has already spread fear through Europe and this is a gamble but will pay off. It is the right fight at the right time.”
Heading the talent bursting Sunderland bill is a British super-bantamweight title defence by Jason Booth (33-5) who faces Hartlepool’s former European champion Michael Hunter.
Booth, 31, will be having his 17th major title contest and making the second defence of the championship he won against Mark Moran in April.
Also featured is Jeffries fellow Beijing bronze medallist David Price (1-0), and super-middlerweight sensation George Groves (5-0)
The last few remaining tickets priced £35 and £90 are available from 0871 226 1508, Phil Jeffries 0191 564 0202 and www.frankmaloney.com.
MALONEY WANTS MOORE vs CHAVEZ JNR
PROMOTER Frank Maloney is preparing to travel east and west early next month to get Jamie Moore a shot at the WBC light-middleweight title.
The Salford star (32-3) first has to come through a European light-middleweight title defence against fellow southpaw Ryan Rhodes (42-4), which doubles up as a WBC title eliminator.
Their clash at Bolton Arena on October 23 is the most eagerly awaited domestic clash of 2009.
Moore, 30, is third in the WBC rankings behind Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr and Kermit Cintron for their 154lb title held by Sergio Martinez.
Maloney will fly east to Jeju, Korea with Moore and the boxer’s manager and co-promoter Steve Wood in the first week of November to press their claims at the WBC convention.
Maloney then hopes to meet Chavez Jnr’s promoters Top Rank, when he is in Las Vegas for the November 14 showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto.
He explained: “I was very close to getting Martinez over here.
“A couple of months ago talks were held with his promoter Lou DiBella, but after good signs early on during negotiations, they didn’t want to come to England and face Jamie.
“The offer was fantastic and Jamie was willing to take the fight for chump change. I can’t see how Martinez had ever earned the money that was on the table.
“The WBC belt is the most prestigious in boxing and the one Jamie wants to get his hands on more than anything.
“When Jamie attends WBC convention he will put his case to them and that can only help his cause.
“I’m then going west to Las Vegas where I am going to suggest to Bob Arum that Jamie fights Chavez Jnr in a final eliminator, or even a interim title.
“It will be hard to bring Chavez Jnr to England because of the TV business he does in the United States and Mexico, but I am so confident that Mooresy has his measure we would travel.
“If he doesn’t beat Rhodes though that will all become no more than a dream that is unlikely to ever happen and Jamie isn’t looking beyond Ryan even if there looks like being a pot of gold at the end of the tunnel.”
There are two British title fights on the bumper Bolton bill St Helens Gary Davies (9-2-1) risks his bantamweight title against Ian Napa (18-7).
The pair were due to clash this week, but Davies who won the crown against Matthew Edmonds in April sustained a calf injury.
Stoke warrior Chris Edwards (13-13-3) defends his British flyweight title against Oldham based Mongolian Shinny Bayaar who recently gained British citizenship
A fourth title sees Burnley star Stuart McFadyen (12-1-1) challenge Doncaster’s Jamie McDonnell (11-2-1) for the vacant English super-flyweight title.
Tickets are now on sale prices £40, £60, £80 and £125 from www.frankmaloney.com and 0871 226 1508