New Opponent for Kenny Anderson

Kenny Anderson’s big fight jinx has struck again after opponent Paul David broke his nose in training.

The former Commonwealth Games gold medallist was due to face David in a British super-middleweight title eliminator at the St Andrew’s Sporting Club in Glasgow’s SAS Radisson hotel next Monday (March 15).

However, that fight is now off after David – who pulled out of a previous scheduled meeting with Anderson at 48 hours’ notice in January – suffered a broken nose sparring with British welterweight champion Kell Brook at their Sheffield gym.

Anderson will still top the bill at the historic 300th St Andrew’s show against London-based Gambian Patrick Mendy. And promoter Tommy Gilmour believes the African is more than capable of pulling off an upset.

Gilmour said: “It’s desperately disappointing for Kenny that David has had to pull out for a second time. It just looks as if that fight will never happen.

“But at least this time I’ve had plenty of notice to arrange another fight for Kenny and I actually think this one could be even more difficult for him.

“Mendy is only 19 years-old, but his manager Jim Evans reckons he has a real star of the future. Jim has been around for a long time and has handled a lot of great fighters, but he says Mendy is the best he has seen at that age since Errol Christie.

“Christie was a big star during the 1980s, winning multiple ABA titles and then becoming a world-class pro, so that’s praise indeed.

“It will undoubtedly be difficult for Kenny, but that’s the way it should be. At this stage in his career there’s no point in putting him into easy fights – if he wants to match his amateur success as a pro then he needs to be challenged and prove he has what it takes to dig deep for victory.”

Former Scottish amateur champion and Commonwealth Games representative Mitch Prince will square up to Glenrothes’ Stuart Green for the vacant Scottish light-welterweight title on the undercard.

South-African born Prince – who changed his name by deed poll last year to Prince of Passion – will be looking to add to the British Masters title he won last year, whilst Green will be aiming to become Scottish champ at the third attempt.

Tickets are going fast for the 300th show, which will feature numerous past champions and guests of honour on the top table and within the audience.