Former amateur world champion Frankie Gavin says he wants to win a British title before the year is out. Gavin, who features on Frank Warren’s massive Night of the Champions show on February 13 at Wembley Arena, has only had five professional fights. But the talented 24-year-old has won each of them inside the distance, and is looking to move quickly in 2010. Birmingham’s finest is likely to campaign at light-welterweight when he moves into championship class, and will have an eye on next month’s York Hall clash between Lenny Daws and Jason Cook for the Lonsdale belt..
“I’m ready to make the move,” said southpaw hot-shot Gavin.
“People will look at my record and say I am inexperienced, but my amateur fights were like having 10 or 15 outings as a professional.
“Some of the guys I beat as an amateur were well beyond British title level
“The only thing that is holding me back right now is my lack of rounds, but once I get a few more under my belt then I’ll clean up domestically. I’d fancy my chances now against Daws or Cook.
“I’ve just got to keep on beating the fighters that Frank Warren puts in front of me, and I’m sure that come the end of the year I’m going to be in a strong position. The British title has always been a special one to win, and I definitely want to fight for it and win it.
“I’ve got a big fight against Peter McDonagh coming up because he’s fought for a couple of titles and is a decent name.
“If I can do a job on him then I can send out a statement to all the domestic guys between 140 pounds and 147 pounds.”
Night of the Champions features the exciting heavyweight showdown between British heavyweight champion Danny Williams and Commonwealth champion Sam Sexton; Kevin Mitchell’s WBO Intercontinental Lightweight title defence; Kell Brook’s WBO Intercontinental Welterweight title challenge; Derek Chisora versus Matt Skelton for the Southern Area Heavyweight Championship; The Olympians James DeGale, Frankie Gavin and Billy Joe Saunders; plus hot prospects Vinny Mitchell and Liam, Michael and Ryan Walsh.
Tickets priced at £40, £50, £75, £100 and £150, are available from:
See Tickets
0871 220 0260
www.seetickets.com
Wembley Arena
0844 815 0815
www.wembleyarena.co.uk
FLASH ASH IS UP FOR A BIT OF USSIE BASHING
ASHLEY SEXTON can shoot from the lip, but the time has come to prove he can fire from the hip as well.
The Cocky Cheshunt boxer challenges Usman Ahmed for the vacant English flyweight title at Brentwood Centre on Friday (22/1) on Frank Maloney’s quality bill.
Unbeaten Sexton (8-0) will be on the brink of facing British champion Shinny Bayaar if he beats his Derby rival.
Sexton, 22, won four national titles as an amateur and reckons his amateur pedigree could take him to the top of the professional game this year.
He says: “Because of my amateur experience and class of boxers I have mixed with I feel confident that I can clean up the division in quick time.”
Ahmed, 28, (6-2-1) challenged Chris Edwards for the British and Commonwealth titles last year, going down on points.
He bounced back from that setback last month outpointing former Welsh amateur star Kyle King on points
‘Ussie’ warned Sexton: “He’s not fought anybody the same calibre has me.
“Sexton has just fought a load of foreigners who he has been able to push around, but I will punch back. I won’t be bullied.”
Topping the Brentwood bill is Ian Napa’s (19-7) British bantamweight title defence against Yorkshireman Jamie McDonnell.
Heavyweight hope Larry Olubamiwo (6-1) moves up a notch when he boxes Irish puncher Scott Belshaw (10-3).
Tickets for this top class show, priced £80 and £35 are available on line www.frankmaloney.com
NAPA MUST TRAVEL FOR EURO GLORY
IAN NAPA must travel to France if he wants to regain the European bantamweight title, but must beat Jamie McDonnell next week.
The slick Hackney boxer, 31, risks his British bantamweight title defence against McDonnell at Brentwood Centre on Friday January 22.
If ‘Dapa’ Napa (19-7) beats the Yorkshireman he will challenge Jerome Arnould for the vacant Euro championship in France on Saturday March 6.
Purse bids for the Arnould contest were due to be held next week, but Napa’s manager/promoter Frank Maloney agreed terms with the Frenchman’s backers.
He said: “It was a reasonable offer so we decided to take the risk and travel.
“The other problem I had if I went to purse bids and won I would not being able to stage the bout until the end of April because I have so many champions to keep busy with my booked TV dates.
“The EBU would not allow the fight to be delayed that long and Ian would have risked losing his nomination.”
Although terms to face Arnould have been agreed, Maloney promised that Napa would not overlook McDonnell (12-2-1).
Maloney added: “Ian knows that if he lost to McDonnell the Arnould fight would be off.
“Before he speaks about Arnould, let’s get what is a very tough British title defence out of the way.”
Napa lost the European title last March when he was outpointed by another Frenchman Malik Bouziane.
On the Brentwood bill Cheshunt’s cocky Ashley Sexton (8-0) faces fellow extrovert Usman Ahmed (6-2-1) in a clash for the vacant English flyweight championship.
Maloney’s heavyweight Larry Olubamiwo (6-1) moves up a notch when he boxes Irish puncher Scott Belshaw (10-3).
Tickets for this top class show, priced £80 and £35 are available on line www.frankmaloney.com or by calling 0871 2261508. Follow Maloney Promotions on Facebook and watch highlights of all our shows on our You Tube channel maloneypromotions.