WBC Super Middleweight champ Carl Froch has issued a missing persons appeal on behalf of former World middleweight champ, and the current mandatory challenger for his title Jermain Taylor. Froch believes that Taylor has gone into hiding as he looks for a way out of fighting the Cobra who was crowned WBC champ after a fight of the year thriller with Jean Pascal in December.

“Taylor calls himself “Bad Intentions” but if you ask me it should be “No Intentions” because I don’t think he has any intentions of fighting me,” said Froch.

“At this rate the only thing he’s going to win any time soon is the world hide and seek title. If anyone’s seen him lately I’d be very interested to hear about his whereabouts. I’m guessing that he’s probably at home in bed with his head under the covers waiting until an easier fight comes along.

“Purse bids for the fight are due on Friday but there’s been a deafening silence from Jermain about the fight. You can draw your own conclusions on why that is. Look what happened last year, he ducked out of a vacant WBC title fight with me when he could have had a 50 – 50 share of the purses and instead fought in an eliminator so there’s definitely a track record there.

“His own promoter has admitted publicly that they don’t have too many attractive options right now and yet there still running from the only fight that means anything on the world scene – a fight for the most prestigious belt in boxing.

“I’ve always believed that Taylor doesn’t really have the heart for battle anyway, he has all the physical tools required to be a great fighter but he likes to fight in a comfort zone. When you step into that ring with me there’s no comfort zone and there’s no hiding place.”

Froch’s promoter, Mick Hennessy also feels there’s a reluctance on Taylor’s part to step up to the plate. “I believe Lou DiBella and Taylor are trying to walk away from this fight and look for the exit door. I’ve made a formal $1.6 million offer to Taylor’s promoter Lou DiBella for him to fight Carl Froch in the U.K. in either April. It would be a massive fight over here and that offers on the table right now so we can either do a deal or we can wait for the purse bids on Friday.

“Lou has been talking about the offer he’s made but what about the offer that I’ve made? Lou is trying to make this a take it or leave it situation but Carl is the champion, not Taylor and in my opinion he needs to respect that and the WBC purse bid process if it comes to that.

“If we can’t agree a deal beforehand then I know that Carl is happy to accept the outcome of the purse bids regardless of where the fight ends up.”

Tony Dodson set for home debut

Liverpool’s Tony Dodson today revealed he will face Brian Magee for the British super middleweight title at the Liverpool Echo Arena on Saturday 28th March.

Speaking to Steve Bunce on Setanta Sports News Dodson said he was proud to be fighting in his home town. He continued:

“It’s the first boxing show there and I’m proud to say I’m going to be its first title fight.

“It’s a great opportunity for me. It’s a fight I think should have happened five years ago.

“It’s the number two contender against the number three contender. It’s the best of the rest in division.”

Dodson claims to have learnt a lot since his defeat at the hands of Carl Froch three years ago. He added:

“I think that [fight] came too soon. All the build up to the fight, the bad mouthing – it did get to me.

“When I got in the ring all I wanted to do was to take his head off.”

Injury forces Lindsay to postpone British title clash

Hayemaker Boxing regret to inform that Martin Lindsay’s attempts to win the British featherweight title from champion Paul Appleby on March 7 have been scuppered by injury.

The injury – picked up in sparring on Tuesday – has forced a postponement of the original March 7 contest, though both boxers will renew acquaintances at a later date.

The postponement comes as a blow to both Lindsay and Appleby, who were gearing up to play their part in one of the most eagerly anticipated domestic showdowns of 2009.

Hayemaker Boxing apologise for the cancellation of the bout and will reschedule the planned show in Belfast at a later date.

SAUNDERS: THE BEST IS YET TO COME

Trainer Danny Hoy says 2008 Olympian Billy Joe Saunders won’t be at his peak for another six years.

And with hot talent Saunders, still just 19, he is already being tipped as a potential world-class operator given his form as an amateur, Hoy’s statement will give light-middleweight rivals a few sleepless nights.

Saunders will make his professional debut on February 28 at the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, alongside fellow 2008 Olympians Frankie Gavin and James DeGale.

Hoy will be in his corner, and is backing his man to achieve big things.

“Training has been going fantastically well,” said Hoy.

“Mentally and physically, Billy Joe is spot on at the moment and he can’t wait for sparring to really get going next week.

“But what’s really impressed me is that Billy Joe has said that he doesn’t want to be rushed and doesn’t see himself fighting at the highest level until he’s 25.

“I agree that he won’t be at his peak until then, although even that age is quite young these days for a light-middleweight.

“We’ve only seen a fraction of his potential at the moment, and he can really push on from what his achieved already. The sky is the limit.”

Saunders is in good company turning professional at a young age – the likes of Naseem Hamed, Ricky Hatton and Amir Khan were all punching for pay when they were still teenagers.

And if he does make it to the top, one of the men he’ll have to thank is Hoy, who has been his trainer since he began boxing.

“I remember Billy Joe coming into the gym when he was seven or so, and we’d just let him punch a bag or get on with something in a corner somewhere,” remembers Hoy.

“People ask me if I always knew he was special, but when kids first begin boxing properly when they are 10 or 11, it’s really too young to tell if they have got it or not.

“But by the time Billy Joe was 13 I felt we were on to something. At the age, he had the ability to switch tactics mid fight depending on who his opponent was, and that’s quite a rare skill for someone so young to have.

“He just kicked on from there. Although he’s always had great strength, I’ve concentrated on his boxing skills so he didn’t become reliant on it, and now he can box and he can fight.”

Hoy says he is looking forward to Saunders’ professional debut – although it will be a first for him too as he’s not had a pro fighter before.

“I’m learning about the pro game as well, but I’ve already had some great advice from the likes of Dean Powell and trainers Johnny Eames and Alan Smith and I know Billy Joe we are going to be just fine,” he added.

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