Collins wary of Brown challenge

STEVE Collins admitted yesterday that the world title challenge by Neville Brown had become a "risky" business. At a press conference in the Beamish and Crawford brewery premises in Cork, Collins said that he had watched the more recent videos of Brown's fights and had been impressed.

"I have seen his last three fights and I am now not as certain as I was before. He is a much better fighter that I thought. What was a probable win for me is now a possible one. He throws a lot of punches and he moves well. I am taking the fight a lot more seriously than before," he said.

Collins was questioned at some length about his relationship with his former "guru", if not hypnotist, Tony Quinn. He denied that he had fallen out with Quinn and said that he had not been aware of a recent reported statement from Quinn to the effect that there was a "difficulty" between them insofar as money was concerned.

Collins did not rule out the possibility that Quinn might be in his corner for the next defence of his title against Brown in Millstreet on March 9th.

"As far as I know, Tony Quinn is in the United States at present. We have talked to each other and I will be using his advice from previous fights in this one as well. I cannot say what our relationship will be in the future but we have not fallen out over financial arrangements," he said.

Asked about the extent of his financial arrangements with Quinn, he said that this was a private matter and that he had no further comment to make.

Apart from the fact that Noel C Duggan, the entrepreneur from Millstreet where the fight will be staged, was talking of a crowd of about 6,000, there was nothing to really entice the public.

One thing of interest to the public, perhaps, was that tickets for the fight would be topped off by those at £100, going down to £25.

Duggan was also anxious to proclaim that the Green Glens Arena was available for the world title challenge between Collins and Nigel Benn "sometime between late May and early June."

Collins refused to be drawn on this matter giving the usual answer that he was "taking it one fight at a time" but he, nevertheless, spoke glowingly about Millstreet, pointing out that it was an Irish rural setting. "I feel that I am at home there and foreign fighters, like Eubank, seem to be nervous about that kind of a place.

"I believe that Millstreet is where I feel most at home. I like The Point in Dublin but it could be anywhere. In Millstreet you know that you are in Ireland and the visiting fighters feel out of their depth there," he said.

Collins flew into Cork from his Jersey base in St Hellier. The weather there had been fairly miserable but it had not interrupted his training to any significant degree. Among his sparring partners has been his brother, Paschal, who Steve believes has improved greatly in recent months.

"After we spar I do a bit of coaching with him and he is making a lot of progress. It is nice to have a member of the family in my camp.

There was only scant news of the supporting bill to be had in the Cork press conference. However, it was confirmed that a very strong contingent of Irish boxers would be in action. Michael Carruth will definitely be on the bill and will face Paul Dyer from Portsmouth.

Also in action will be Paul Griffin who is now boxing at super bantamweight as well as Mark Winters, Jim Webb, Danny Ryan, Eamonn Magee, Jim Rock and Ray Kane - a line up which is sure to give the bill a very Irish flavour.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of yesterday's press conference was that Cork seemed to be taking over from Dublin as a boxing venue.

Word has it also that the sponsors of the two previous Steve Collins fights, Beamish and Crawford, are so pleased with the corporate image which boxing has given them that they are toying with the idea that they might become even more deeply involved and might even get involved in an international relationship, including a link up with a television company.

Apart from all of that, it has to be said that Steve Collins is a much more relaxed and amiable person than he was before his first fight nearly a year ago in Millstreet against the then champion, Chris Eubank.

Yesterday Collins was generous about Eubank's contribution to his own division of world boxing. "He was good for boxing and he was good for me. He gave me the chance of being a world champion. He is a very good ambassador for the sport. I believe that he will be back in the ring within a year and that can only be good for the sport," he said.