Steve Collins failed to show up yesterday at the press conference called to publicise the triple world title bill at Sheffield on October 11th. Instead, the World Boxing Organisation super-middleweight champion spoke by telephone from his Dublin home and apologised for his absence due to "unforeseen circumstances". Just what those circumstances were was not explained, but his rift with the promoter Frank Warren is clearly not yet healed. Collins said he was due to meet with Warren today to discuss details of his title defence against the undefeated Welshman Joe Calzagi.

Warren insisted once more that the fight will go ahead: "He is contracted to me to take the fight. He wants more money, but if he doesn't take the Calzagi fight, he will be stripped of his title. "After he has had this contest, he can do what he wants. But he will find out pretty quickly that none of the other promoters will pay him what he has been getting from me." Calzagi, 25, had his own explanation for Collins' non-appearance which he said has nothing to do with financial motives. "It shows me he's scared. Deep down inside, for whatever reason, he thinks he'll lose . . . Steve's a very good fighter and he's proved it over the years, but I'll stop him inside six rounds because I'm faster and stronger than he is.

Warren said if Collins failed to make the appointed dates another of his fighters, the British champion Dean Francis from Basingstoke, would take on Calzagi for the vacant title.

The WBO featherweight champion Naseem Hamed arrived an hour late, but spoke of his happiness at defending his title in his home town at the Sheffield Arena. "It's wicked," he said, "and with Ryan Rhodes fighting for a world title on the same bill, it's unbelievable. I've known him since he was six years old and we're so close we might as well be brothers." Rhodes is to fight Canada's Otis Grant in a contest which is likely to be for the vacant WBO middleweight title, while Hamed's opponent is due to be announced on Monday.