Ricky Burns to take on Paulus Moses on 10 March

Ricky Burns will make his first defence of the interim WBO lightweight title against Paulus Moses on 10 March.

The 33-year-old Namibian won the WBA title two years ago in Japan but lost it after one successful defence.

Moses, known as ‘The Hitman’, has only been stopped once in 29 fights and has won 19 bouts by knockout.

The fight has been moved back to the Braehead Arena due to television commitments after promoters had announced a switch to the Kelvin Hall.

Burns’s manager Alex Morrison believes Moses will provide a “stiff test” for his Burns.

“He’s a bit of a knockout specialist,” Morrison told BBC Scotland.

“And you don’t go to Japan and a win a world title without having something about you.”

Moses (right) has only been stopped once in 29 fights

Burns became WBO super-featherweight champion after a thrilling win over Rocky Martinez in 2010.

After three defences of the title, ‘The Rickster’ moved up to lightweight and beat Michael Katsidis at Wembley last November to become interim lightweight champion.

If, as expected, Juan Manuel Marquez vacates his WBO title at the same weight, Burns could enter the ring against Moses as the full champion.

By Phil Goodlad
BBC Scotland

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/boxing/16534019.stm

World champion looking forward to summer ‘superfight’

Nathan Cleverly is hoping to further enhance his box office appeal when he defends his WBO light-heavyweight title against Tommy Karpency.

The Welshman will make the third defence of belt against the American at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on February 25, in what could be a stepping stone to a big open-air fight in the summer.

“Frank (Warren) has got big plans for me and to fight at Cardiff City’s ground would be a dream,” he said. “I’m still only 24 and time is on my side to achieve a lot of things.

“I know the big super-fights will come, I’ve just got to keep putting on good displays and we are progressively getting there.

“In the meantime I can’t be complacent by taking my eye off the ball and let Karpency upset the plans.

“I saw Karo Murat’s fight against Karpency when I was preparing for my fight against Murat and I saw that he’s a southpaw, tough, rugged and strong. He’ll come to have a fight with me, but I’ll break him down and look good doing it.”

http://www1.skysports.com/boxing/news/12183/7423772/Clev-Big-fights-will-come

James DeGale’s scheduled fight in Liverpool on Friday has been postponed.

The Olympic champion had been due to defend his WBO intercontinental super-middleweight title against Jose Guerrero, but on Tuesday promoter Frank Warren called the Echo Arena bill off.

No reason was given for the postponement, although Warren did say the event would be rescheduled for January 27.

The show had been beset by problems from the outset, with George Groves originally due to defend his British and Commonwealth titles in London.

However, when Groves pulled out injured, the bill was switched to Liverpool where European champion DeGale had been due to headline.

Another of Great Britain’s Olympic fighters from 2008, Billy Joe Saunders, had been due to fight on the undercard.

http://www1.skysports.com/boxing/news/12183/7356821/DeGale-bill-postponed

JAMES DeGALE’S challenger Jose Maria Guerrero has told him he’d better finish him off early – or taste defeat.

Spanish hitman Guerrero challenges the Londoner for his WBO Intercontinental super-middleweight title on Friday night at the ECHO Arena.

“I will give him some advice: destroy me quickly, if not, you will have a big problem,” Guerrero told DeGale. “If he believes that he will knock out me quickly, he shows that he’s an ignoramus and if he thinks that this is the easiest fight of his career then he will have a big surprise.”

The ECHO has teamed up with promoter Frank Warren to offer readers the chance to win a pair of tickets for Friday evening’s boxing.

Merseyside boxers Stephen Smith, Joe Selkirk, Liam Smith and Paul Butler all feature on the undercard and to be in with a shot of winning one of the 10 pairs, just answer the following question.

James DeGale won the European super-middleweight title in his last fight – who did he beat?

Send your answers to either sport@liverpool.com or Boxing Competition, Sportsdesk, Level Three, Liverpool Echo, Old Hall Street, PO Box 48, Liverpool L69 3EB.

One entry per person and all usual Echo competition rules apply; for more details see our website.

Closing date for entries is 4pm on Wednesday, December 7.

LONG LANE ABC are celebrating their 40th birthday tonight.

To mark the amateur club’s milestone, an event is being held at the Valley Inn on Alt Road. The night kicks off at 7.30pm.

A world unification fight between WBO light-heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly and WBA rival Beibut Shumenov in 2012 has moved a step closer.

BBC Sport Wales understands that preliminary negotiations have taken place between the two camps.

Cleverly wants hold the fight in his native Wales but will travel to Las Vegas where Shumenov now lives.

“Beibut Shumenov, the WBA world champion, he’s next in my sights,” unbeaten 24-year-old Cleverly said.

“So whether that’s going to be in Wales or in Las Vegas, where he’s based, we’re yet to find out but wherever the fight takes place I’m really looking forward to that one.”

Shumenov has defended his WBA world crown on three occasions and the 28-year-old from Kazakhstan wants to unify the division, as does Cleverly.

IBF belt holder Tavoris Cloud is another rival challenger in the 175lb division.

“I want to fight the best to be considered the best 175-pounder in the world,” Shumenov said previously.

“All of these guys talking about unifying. Well, if they really want to make it happen all they have to do is contact us.

“I told [IBO champion Jean] Pascal that I’m from Kazakhstan, he lives in Canada; so, we should fight in the capital of boxing, Las Vegas. Same goes for Cleverly, who is from the United Kingdom.

“I’m getting ready and looking forward to a fresh New Year. Hopefully, one of the other light-heavyweight world champions will put his title belt on the line against mine in a unification fight in 2012.”

Cleverly has not ruled out a rematch against Tony Bellew, after defeating the Liverpudlian by points in October.

But whoever he ends up facing, Cleverly says he is yearning to fight in front of a home Welsh crowd for the first time since defeating Joey Vegas in November 2007.

“Preferably I’d love a homecoming now in Wales, it has been a long time,” Cleverly said.

“Most of my fights have been all over the country but a nice homecoming in Wales, that would be another dream of mine – to come to Wales as world champion, defending my title.

“So that would be my number-one venue, otherwise if we’ve got to travel to Las Vegas then so be it. We’ll go out there and do the business.”

Cleverly’s promoter Frank Warren was considering a possible fight against WBC champion Bernard Hopkins but the 46-year-old could be set for a rematch with Chad Dawson following their controversial in October.

There has also been talk of a possible all-Welsh clash with Enzo Maccarinelli, after the former WBO cruiserweight champion made a successful debut at 175 lbs after deciding to step down a division.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/boxing/15726817.stm

Gavin withdrew from last month’s WBO inter-continental welterweight clash with Frank Haroche Horta after walking out of training.

Promoter Frank Warren met with the former world amateur champion on Thursday and told the 26-year-old to get his life back on track.

Gavin has won all 11 of his professsional fights but his career has not taken off as expected.

“In my opinion he’s not ready to fight and I won’t put him on anywhere until I we get to the bottom of whatever the problem is,” said Warren.

“He’s got a lot of issues outside of boxing that he must overcome before he gets involved in the dangerous sport that he’s involved with.