Collins out to unify division

THE FIRST step in an attempt to unify the world super-middleweight title will be taken on Saturday night at the Nynex Centre in Manchester.

At the end of the road Steve Collins may be able to call himself the undisputed champion of this division.

That possibility has been brought into sharper focus by the fact that Roy Jones, who is the holder of the International Boxing federation title, has decided to move up to light-heavyweight leaving Collins, his Saturday night opponent, Nigel Benn, the WBC champion Robin Reid from England and the WBA champion Frank Liles as the top contenders.

On what will be the busiest night for world boxing in the history of the sport Reid and LiIes are expected to be at the ringside to watch Collins attempt to repeat his recent victory over Benn thereby repeating his double victory over Chris Eubank.

With three world titles in the Nynex Centre down for decision and three more in Las Vegas including the meeting of Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, boxing fans, have a feast of boxing to look forward to with all six bouts on television.

Also on the Collins-Benn bill is the WBO featherweight title fight between `Prince' Naseem Hamed and Remigio Molina and the WBO light middleweight title fight between Ronald Wright, the defending champion from Florida, and Ensley `Bingo' Bingham.

In Las Vegas there will be three heavyweight world title bouts. Tyson defends his WBA title against Holyfield, Michael Moorer, the IBF champion, defends against Francis Botha from South Africa and Britain's Henry Akinwande defends his WBO title against Alexandre Zolkin from Russia.