Collins wants to fight Reid

STEVE COLLINS had unification bouts on his mind after watching WBC super middle weight champion Robin Reid come of age in his successful defence against Henry Wharton.

Reid against WBO holder Collins is now the hottest supermiddle fight around. Should the Dubliner secure a match against America's WBA holder Frankie Liles this summer, three titles could be on the line in a Collins Reid fight.

"I envy Naseem (Hamed) in unifying the belts," said Collins. "I want to get involved in getting these kind of fights.

"I think Liles wants to fight, but I think his promoter Don King is the problem. I want it, and Frank Warren wants it. I'm hoping to fight Frankie at the end of June and hoping that the match will be made next week.

"If not, I'm hoping that whatever Frank gets for me it will satisfy me. I need that unification belt. If Reid thinks he's ready then we'll fight, and I would want it sooner rather than later, because he is getting better every time I see him.

"People doubted Reid before the Wharton fight, and I think he may have doubted himself, but now he's the genuine article. He proved he can take a shot and has punching power. He was fighting a genuine contender. Henry has such great heart."

Reid had never been beyond eight rounds, despite holding the WBC title, yet it was in the later stages that he boxed quite beautifully, staying cool under Wharton's pressure and countering fiercely enough to rock the challenger a couple of times.

The judges' verdicts were varied. One of 114-114 was off beam; another of 118-111 looked generous to Reid, but the 117-113 card of Belgium's Daniel Van Der Wiele was a closer reflection of the events in a fascinating fight.

Reid said after his second successful defence: "It was very satisfying. It was a tough fight. I knew Henry would try to box me and step it up later.

"I hadn't been 12 rounds, but I outboxed him and I think I had more power when I caught him with the bigpunches.

"I'll be surprised if I have any critics in Britain now."