Nicky Cook has warned English rival Ricky Burns that he’ll be on the wrong end of a Cockney revival on July 16.
The pair meet for the Scotsman’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) World Super-Featherweight title at the Liverpool Echo Arena, live on Sky Sports 1HD.
Cook says he’ll be bringing the world title back to east London – and Mitchell will win his big fight against John Murray.
A week earlier, Cook’s former gym-mate Mitchell will attempt to reignite his career with a win against John Murray at the Excel in London.
And Cookie is promising a spectacular against-the-odds double for the east end.
“I’m concentrating on my world title fight against Burns and I’m sure Mitchell will do the job against Murray,” said Cook.
“I fancy Kevin’s chances, and there is only one winner in my fight with Burns as far as I’m concerned,”
“This is my opportunity to set the record straight after my loss to Roman Martinez,”
“I’m hungry at the moment, and a hungry fighter is a dangerous fighter,”
“But I’ll be going into my fight against Burns on a real high, whatever happens with Mitchell-Murray.
“I’ve not felt this good in training in a long, long time.
“My camp in Tenerife so far has been great, and I think the next couple of weeks will be even better as I fine tune my preparations.
“I’ve been written off a few times since that Martinez loss, but if Ricky Burns underestimates me he is in for a massive shock because I’m going to Liverpool to knock him out.”
Tickets, priced at £50, £80 and £100, are available on 0844 8000 400 or www.echoarena.com
WATSON TAUNTS CONQUEROR
CRAIG WATSON has stoked the flames ahead of his British welterweight championship rematch against Lee Purdy telling the Essex man: “You’re not that good.”
Purdy caused the biggest domestic boxing upset so far this year in April stopping Watson in five rounds, taking his treasured domestic title.
And Hatton Promotions have handed Watson an immediate chance of revenge in a return showdown at Oldham Sports Centre on July 16.
Watson who will also benefit from home advantage said: “He isn’t that good. I was playing with him and he caught me with a good shot.
“I might not think Lee is anything special, but I can’t take anything away from him because he has got the title.
“I didn’t have any pop in our first fight even though I was winning and it was perhaps too soon after I beat John O’Donnell”
Hatton Promotions President Ricky Hatton said: “Again Hatton Promotions are proving that when our fighters suffer a setback we give them opportunities to correct what went wrong.
“Craig knows it all went wrong last month and although Purdy is tough and powerful, I am backing my man to become champion again.
“Craig proved he can bounce back when he got revenge over John O’Donnell so I have every reason to be confident.
“There has been a great response from the public in Oldham so the crowd should be lifting the roof off.”
In the chief supporting contests Watson’s fellow Oldham fighter Darren Stubbs challenges Bob Ajisafe for the vacant English light-heavyweight title.
British welterweight champion Denton Vassell is also in action when he boxes a six round non-title fight.
Hatton Promotions youngsters on the bill include Keiron Maher, Austin Hornsby, Dean Halsall and Matthew Clarkson.
The show is not being televised and tickets are selling fast for Watson’s revenge missing and are available prices £35, £55 and £75 VIP from 01925 755222
First Round Action Concludes at the USA Boxing National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado
(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – First round competition moved into the evening session on Monday at the 2011 USA Boxing National Championships at the Colorado Springs Christian School in Colorado Springs, Colo. Twenty-four preliminary contests highlighted the night’s action with all of the victors moving on to Tuesday’s packed schedule of action.
The female flyweight division opened Monday night’s competition with four first round contests. Noemi Bosques (Pinellas Park, Fla.) claimed her first victory of the event with a 21-14 decision over former junior champion Cassandra Mendoza (Greeley, Colo.) Bosques will face former national champion Christina Cruz (New York, N.Y.) on Tuesday night.
A jam-packed lightweight division kicked off their tournament action on Monday as well and opening day featured a significant upset. Christopher Bell (Little Rock, Ark.) defeated 2008 Olympian Raynell Williams (Cleveland, Ohio) in their lightweight showdown. Williams claimed the early lead but could not maintain the pace and Bell won a 23-19 decision over the returning Olympian. Bell will take on Adam Castillo (Lubbock, Texas) in second round action.
In welterweight competition, former USA Boxing National Team member Alex Martin (Chicago, Ill.) earned his first win of the tournament, taking a 23-12 decision over Veshawn Owens (Minneapolis, Minn.) Martin’s win moves him on to a Tuesday evening match-up with Thomas Gennaro (Henderson, Nev.).
Former National Golden Gloves champion and Olympic training partner Sijuola Shabazz (Las Cruces, N.M.) made his return to the light heavyweight division in 2011 and his first bout of the tournament was a successful one. Shabazz won a convincing 26-5 decision over Justin Thomas in preliminary round action. He will face a tough second bout on Tuesday, taking on defending champion Jeffery Spencer (Fountain, Colo.).
Super heavyweight action closed the first day of boxing as a familiar face took home his first win of the event. 2010 USA Boxing National Championships silver medalist Javier Torres (Pico Rivera, Calif.) claimed a 16-11 decision over Avery Gibson (Birmingham, Ala.) to move on to a second round match-up with defending titlist Lenroy Thompson (Uniondale, N.Y.) on Tuesday night.
Second round action will be contested in all 10 men’s weight classes and five female weight divisions on Tuesday before all-important quarterfinal action on Wednesday. Semifinal bouts will be contested on Wednesday with consolation bouts taking place on Friday. The event will culminate with final round contests on Saturday at the City Auditorium. The top four-finishers in each of the 13 Olympic weight divisions will all earn berths on the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
For full event brackets, go to http://usaboxing.org/news/2011/06/19/2011-usa-boxing-national-championships-brackets/42937.
Tuesday’s second round action will take place at noon and 6 p.m. at the Colorado Springs Christian School.
Monday Evening Preliminary Session
112 lbs/female: Poula Estrada, Palmdale, Calif., dec. Ginny Fuchs, Houston, Texas, 15-9
112 lbs/female: Noemi Bosques, Pinellas Park, Fla., dec. Cassandra Mendoza, Greeley, Colo., 21-14
112 lbs/female: LaTonya King, Harrison, Mich., stopped Rhonda McGee, Vacaville, Calif., RSC-2 (1:42)
112 lbs/female: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas, won on walkover over, Tiffany Perez, Hammond, Ind., W/O
132 lbs/male: Adrian Martinez, Milwaukee, Wis., dec. Quinton Benjamin, Carencaro, La., 11-8
132 lbs/male: Tommy Logan, Auburndale, Fla., dec. Dinong Arnold, Ewa Beach, Hawaii, 35-32
132 lbs/male: Christopher Bell, Little Rock, Ark. dec. Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio, 23-19
132 lbs/male: Darwin Price Jr., St Louis, Mo., dec. Beck James, Hampton, Va., 30-10
132 lbs/male: Jose Ramirez, Avenal, Calif., dec. Johnny Reyes, Lancaster, Calif., 36-20
132 lbs/male: Toka Kahn Clary, Providence R.I., dec. Nicholas Jefferson, Tacoma, Wash. 17-10
132 lbs/male: Damon Allen, Philadelphia, Pa., dec. Tommy Roque, Camp Lejeune, NC 13-10
132 lbs/female: Sherman N’yteeya, Barberton, Ohio. dec. Alecia Gutierrez, Chicago Ill., 33-19
152 lbs/male: Bryant Perrella, Lehigh Acres, Fla., dec. Hugo Sanchez, Salinas, Calif. 19-14
152 lbs/male: Moshea Aleem, Richmond, Va., won on walkover over, William Williams, Atlanta, Ga., W/O
152 lbs/male: Luis Olivares, Glendale, Ariz., dec. Will Padilla, Rock Springs, Wyo., 23-15
152 lbs/male: Alex Martin, Chicago, Ill., dec. Veshawn Owens, Minneapolis, Minn., 23-12
152 lbs male: William McElroy, Marquette, Mich., dec. Tony Losey, Wichita, Kan., 18-15
165 lbs/female: Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif., dec. Jennifer Egan, Mohopac, N.Y., 18-13
178 lbs/male: Lanell Bellows, Las Vegas, Nev., dec. Greg Soileau, Marion, La., 28-18
178 lbs/male: Marquice Weston, Tacoma, Wash., dec. Ruben Mendoza, Tulare, Calif. 26-17
178 lbs/male: Sijoula Shabazz, Las Cruces, N.M., dec. Justin Thomas, 26-5
201+ lbs/male: Jonathan Hamm, Atlanta, Ga., won on disqualification over, Josiah McCormick, Lubbock, Texas, DQ
201+ lbs/male: Javier Torres, Pico Rivera, Calif., dec. Avery Gibson, Birmingham, Ala., 16-11
201+ lbs/male: Dominic Breazeale, Alhambra, Calif., dec. Fred Latham, Hills, Pa., 21-15
USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States’ member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).