Steve Collins confirmed yesterday that he will be defending his World Boxing Organisation super-middleweight title against Joe Calzaghe of Wales in Sheffield on October 11th. Collins had earlier said he would not fight Calzaghe in Widnes on September 6th, the date originally set by the promoter, Frank Warren. Warren warned Collins at that stage that the defence was mandatory and that the WBO would strip Collins of the title if he refused to take it but earlier this week Warren announced that October 11th was now the new date with a much more attractive supporting bill.
A press conference was called to confirm the arrangements but Collins did not appear, giving rise to further doubts about the fight. Yesterday, however, Collins confirmed that he had gone into training. An official statement from the Collins camp says that Collins is "in negotiations with Frank Warren to finalise promotional arrangements for the contest."
The bill which has been put together by Warren includes a defence of his world featherweight title by "Prince" Naseem Hamed and a challenge for the vacant world middleweight title by Ryan Rhodes.
Lennox Lewis's WBC heavyweight title defence against Andrew Golota in Atlantic City on October 4th will be part of a nine-hour Sky television production. An agreement was reached yesterday between the satellite company and Lewis's promoter Panos Eliades.
Sky's package also includes the WBO title challenges featuring Cardiff light-heavyweight Nicky Piper (v Dariusz Michalczewski) and Manchester cruiserweight Carl Thompson (v Ralf Rocc higiani) in Hanover.
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