Collins will defend title in London

STEPHEN COLLINS will defend his World Boxing Organisation super middleweight title in London on February 8th. It will be part of a four-bout bill featuring fellow world champions Naseem Hamed, Tom Johnson, Robin Reid and Mickey Cantwell.

The promoter Frank Warren said yesterday that it will be the most expensive boxing show he has ever staged with an overall bill of $9 million to meet. It will be staged in the London Arena, although Warren would have preferred the Nynex Centre in Manchester where Collins and, Benn fought before sell-out 22,000 crowds twice.

"I was hoping that we could go to Manchester which has been very good to us with sell-out crowds but the date was already booked so we have switched to London," he said. The London venue will limit the attendance to 12,500.

Collins said yesterday that he was glad the fight had been agreed although his opponent has not yet been chosen. "Naturally I lie, the idea of another payday but I hope that this will not be a backward step for me. What I need to do now is to go forward.

"I have fought all the realistic challengers for my title. What I want now is to meet either Frank Liles the WBA champion or the IBF champion Roy Jones (both Americans). There is no point in going back to people like Mike McCallum or Reggie Johnston.

"I need to go and prove that I am the best in the world at my weight and that is my ambition. Chris Eubank is not a realistic step for me either. I have beaten him twice and he doesn't deserve another shot."

In spite of that, a match between Collins and either Liles or Roy Jones may be a little way down the road. The February 8th date in London would seem to indicate that one of three other opponents would be more likely.

They are Henry Wharton from England, "Sugar Boy" Malinga from South Africa, and Frederic Seillier from France, the reigning European champion.

Collins said yesterday that he would be spending Christmas in Dublin with his wife Gemma and family but that he would be going into strict training at the turn of the year.

"I always keep in pretty good shape and, even if I treat myself to a good time at Christmas, I will be in top-class shape by February," he said.

Hamed defends his WBO featherweight title against Johnson, the IBF champion, who has an impressive record of 44 wins out of 47. Johnson, the reigning title holder is 32 and his experience and punching power will trouble the flamboyant Prince.

In the super middleweight division Robin Reid will defend his WBC title against an as yet, unnamed opponent.

The fourth world title bout will be between reigning WBO light flyweight champion, Jake Matlala from South Africa and Mickey Cantwell from London.

. Pressure continues to mount on the embattled president of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association, Nicky White, to resign on foot of the no confidence vote which went against him at the last meeting of the Central Council. The latest event in a long-running saga is that the Ulster Council has instructed its president, a vice president of the national association, Pat McCrory, not to attend any meeting of the lABA at which White is presiding. The decision, on a 13-1 majority, was made at a meeting Belfast on Tuesday night.

McCrory has indicated that he will follow the line of the Ulster Council but he says he is not interested in letting his name go forward for the presidency should it become vacant.