Jennings Confident Of Victory Over Cotto; Buckland-Docherty – News

By Boxing News - 02/11/2009 - Comments

jennings223Heartbreaker Michael Jennings is abandoning his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day – so he can concentrate on breaking Miguel Cotto’s heart in New York. But Jennings has vowed to return from the States with a bunch of two-dozen red roses – and the WBO World Welterweight title.

Chorley’s finest flies to America on Saturday ahead of his Madison Square Garden clash with Cotto on February 21.

And it means that he’ll be spending Valentine’s day apart from his partner Zoe.

However the 31-year-old says it will all be worthwhile when he inflicts defeat on power-punching Cotto, a former two-weight world champion.

“I like to wine and dine my missus on Valentine’s Day, but this year I’ll be spending it traveling to New York – and in a no nonsense gym in the Bronx where I’m headed as soon as we touch down,” said Jennings.

“But if I win this fight it will make all the sacrifices worthwhile because if I beat Cotto then I’ve made it into the big league.

“And she has already told me that the best present I can bring her back isn’t expensive perfume or a diamond ring – but the world title.

“There will be some huge fights down the line for me if I can win that belt.

“Training camp has gone really well, and I feel in the shape of my life.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been sharper, and unless Cotto is taking me 100% seriously then he’s in for a nasty surprise.

“Obviously I’ve got a lot of respect for him because of what he has acheived at the highest level. But I’m not going to New York for a pay day. I’m coming to win and to become a world champion. It’s what I’ve dreamed of for years.”

Buckland Gears Up For Difficult Docherty Clash

Welsh lightweight Gary Buckland is in the middle of the training camp of his life as he hopes to regain the Celtic title but the Cardiff native must overcome his most experienced opponent to date, Scotland’s Craig Docherty, if he is to realize this ambition.

The pair clash on the undercard of the European super bantam title rematch between champion Rendall Munroe and challenger Kiko Martinez at the Metrodome in Barnsley, England on Friday, February 27, 2009.

Buckland, 14-1 (5), added the Celtic belt to his pre-existing Welsh Area title with a dominant ten round points victory over seasoned campaigner Martin Watson in October, 2007 but the 22 year old saw his 14 bout unbeaten streak come grinding to a halt last June as he suffered a shock one point loss to light welter Ben Murphy.

For Buckland to regain the Celtic crown, he’ll have to stifle the comeback hopes of Docherty, 22-4-1 (9), a battle hardened veteran who has tangled with the best of Britain since turning pro over ten years ago.

The 29 year old from Glasgow bashed his way to an unsuccessful British super featherweight title shot as an undefeated challenger to Michael Gomez in 2001 but regrouped to win the Commonwealth crown in 2003 by knocking out Dean Pithie.

Two title defenses later, Docherty narrowly missed knocking off European champion Boris Sinitsin, losing a majority decision before suffering a KO loss to future WBO champion Alex Arthur in 2005 for the British and Commonwealth belts in a massive Scotland showdown in Edinburgh.

Since then, Docherty has gone 4-1 after moving up to lightweight and will test Buckland like no one the Welshman has faced to date. “The Glasgow Grinder” has promised to produce impressive results behind a withering body assault, generating openings for his sharp right hand.

It’s the type of pairing that has made the British boxing scene the most competitive in the world and this crossroads clash should make for an impressive display of fireworks.

Frank Maloney Promotions presents Rendall Munroe vs. Kiko Martinez for the Super Bantamweight Championship of Europe with full supporting undercard at the Metrodome in Barnsley, England on Friday, February 27, 2009.

Tickets are priced at £75 and £35 and are available by logging onto www.frankmaloney.com or by calling the Box Office at 0871 226 1508.

Sky Sports will televise the action live on SS1 starting at 10PM.

For further information or press credential requests contact ftm.press@gmail.com.

O’Donnell relishing Commonwealth opportunity

John O’Donnell says he’s ready to make a real statement by ripping the Commonwealth Welterweight title from Craig Watson at the York Hall, London on April 11th. The 23-year-old from Shepherds Bush is relishing his all southpaw clash with Watson and believes it’s the fight that will propel his career to the next level.

“I’ve already held the English title and now this shot at the Commonwealth title has come along,” said O’Donnell who has won all but one of his 21 pro fights. “I believe I can go all the way but I want to do things traditionally and work my way up through the titles.”

O’Donnell had his sights on a British title shot but a planned eliminator for the Lonsdale belt fell through last December with Midlands’s boxer Young Mutley pulling out of their scheduled clash. “I had trained really hard for the Mutley fight and was over at the Breaffy House in Ireland at the Carl Froch training camp.

“I was firing on all cylinders for it and then on the week of the fight he pulled out so it was a sickener but my promoter Mick Hennessy’s got me a straight shot now at the Commonwealth title so I’m over the moon.”

O’Donnell isn’t underestimating the challenge in front of him and says he has a lot of respect for Watson. “I’ve known about him since he put Amir Khan on the canvas in the amateurs and in my opinion he was robbed of a stoppage win that night. I watched his last fight when he beat Matthew Hatton to win the Commonwealth title. That was a good performance and he’s a strong, tough kid and a southpaw like myself.”

Facing a fellow southpaw isn’t an issue for O’Donnell who enjoyed a glorious amateur career that saw him win Junior Olympic Gold, Junior Four Nations Gold, and a pair of Junior ABA titles.

“It’s never bothered me fighting southpaws, in fact I beat Stuart Elwell to win the English title and he’s a southpaw,” recalled O’Donnell. “I had some good sparring sessions with Junior Witter as well at the Froch training camp in Ireland and he can switch between southpaw and orthodox. You can’t get much better than sparring a former World champ and Junior’s a class fighter.

“Since I heard this fight was in the pipeline I’ve already racked up quite a few rounds in the gym in the last few weeks but I’ll probably look at getting in some extra southpaw sparring now as the fight gets closer.”

O’Donnell will be performing in front of the ITV 4 cameras on April 11th and he’s certainly proving quite popular with the cameras recently. “Before my last fight in Ireland I had to do a photo shoot and I’ve just done another one for the next issue of Arena magazine. I’m sure I’ll get some stick from the lads in the gym but I said I’d try my hand at it anyway.

“Who knows I might be able to pack in the boxing, the modelling is certainly easier than getting punched in the face for a living!” joked O’Donnell. “It was good fun and I enjoyed it but for the next photo shoot I want to have that Commonwealth title around my waist.”

Promoter Mick Hennessy is confident that O’Donnell will shine on April 11th. “I’ve always believed that John is destined for big things and this is a major opportunity for him to shine. It’s a cracking domestic match and a quality Commonwealth title fight. You look at fights like Wayne Elcock and Matthew Macklin for the British title next month and O’Donnell and Watson and these are the kind of matchups that do justice to the great history of those titles.”

O’Donnell’s Hennessy Sports stable mate Lenny Daws will provide the chief support at the York Hall on April 11th with further details of the undercard to be announced shortly.

Tickets are on sale from the Hennessy Sports Ticketline Box Office on 0844 888 4402 or via www.ticketline.co.uk.



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