British super-bantamweight
champion Scott Quigg is gearing himself up for a clash with
emerging Irish star Carl Frampton.
Quigg, 23, retained his
title by stopping Welsh veteran Jamie Arthur in Bolton on
Saturday night (February 4) and remains on course for a
mouth-watering clash against the Barry McGuigan managed
Commonwealth king.
Bury's Quigg came through a
tricky first defence forcing ref Mark Green to stop the contest
when the challenger turned away after being hurt by a left hook in
round eight.
After his 24th straight win,
Quigg who is ranked third in the world by the IBF and WBA was
anxious to look forward, and Frampton tops the hit list.
It's the fight everyone wants to
see so we need to sit down and discuss it," Quigg said.
"He's got another fight coming up
in March and if he wins and I keep winning, then we're going to
meet.
"The fights building up so what's
the point of it being for the just the British and Commonwealth
titles? It could be for a bigger title like the European as well
for money.
"When it happens it should be in
a big arena so we can build it up by him going his way and me going
mine, but if the fight happens next then that's fine by me because
I know I'll win."
He added: "I'll fight him
wherever. I'll go to Ireland as easily as he'll fight me over here.
I respect him and I'm sure he respects me and when we get it on
it's just about proving who's the best."
Quigg suffered a shock fourth
round knockdown against Arthur, but quickly took control against
the former Commonwealth champion, although some ringsiders believed
the stoppage was slightly premature.
"Everything went to plan except
for me getting caught with a daft shot," Quigg added.
"I wasn't hurt, though, I just
got caught square on and went over but it was more embarrassing
then anything. When I got up my head was clear. He threw the
kitchen sink at me after that and I don't think one shot
landed."
Quigg also feels that despite the
end of the action coming with Arthur still on his feet, a knockout
was inevitable if the fight would have been allowed to
continue.
He said: "It's up to the ref to
decide when to stop it and he couldn't give him a count because he
was still on his feet, but he turned his back and you could tell he
was in pain.
"I was getting to him and
catching him with some big shots and it was only a matter of time
before I finished it.
"If he thinks he didn't get a
fair chance and he wants a rematch then I'll gladly give it to
him."
Chief support on the undercard saw former world amateur bronze
medallist and 2008 Olympian Joe Murray score his twelfth career win
with a clear cut points margin over Joe Luis Graterol.
A left hook to the body and right hand over the top from Murray
in the opening session brought applause from spectators at ringside
and the Mancunian continued to land crisp punches until the final
bell.
Told to work off the jab (or "feed the bait" as trainer Joe
Gallagher put it), Murray saw the final rounds out at a leisurely
pace and thoroughly deserved the 80 -72 margin handed down by
referee Steve Gray.
Murray, younger sibling of former British and lightweight
champion John, said afterwards that he was happy with the victory
but disappointed with his performance.
Liverpool's 2010 ABA champion James "Jazza" Dickens continued to
impress as he out boxed Barrington Brown over six rounds.
Dickens, 20, was simply too sharp for his taller foe. The classy
southpaw set up crisp punches with clever footwork and smart rolls
of the shoulder, often leaving Brown with opportunity to
respond.
In the end it was scored a predictable 60 - 54.
Matty Askin made short work of
Bulgarian Attila Palko, halting him the second round of a scheduled
six.
A big uppercut rocked Palko's head back and as he tottered
backwards, Askin landed another telling blow which brought about
the intervention referee Phil Edwards.
The time was 1.59
Palko, who had only lost once previously in 13 outings, started
brightly enough and looked to pressure Askin, but the unbeaten
Blackpool man soon found his range and landed a hard right upstairs
before targeting the body.
Askin must surely now be looking towards a British title
shot.
Another fighter having an early night is Leicester's Rendall
Munroe.
The former European and Commonwealth super-bantamweight champion
needed less than a round to finish off the challenge of Argentine
import Jose Saez.
A left hook had the visitor over in the opening ten seconds
before a sustained assault to the body from Munroe forced Saez to
wilt near the ropes.
Although Saez beat the count again, he was clearly hurt and
Steve Gray elected to wave it off. The time was 2.50.
St Helen's Craig Lyon returned from his set back to Ryan Farrag
in October's Prizefighter tournament and defeated Ukraine's former
two time European featherweight challenger Yuri Voronin over
six-threes.
It was far from easy going for the shaven headed puncher from
Merseyside because, despite his aggression having the better of
things in the early going, a cut sustained in the fourth seemed to
spur Voronin on.
Both men traded leather in the fifth and sixth session but Lyon,
with the laceration seemingly getting worse, continued to have the
final say.
In the end Phil Edwards scored it 59 - 55.
Providing his injury heals Lyon is set to be back in the ring on
March 31 when he defends his British bantamweight title to
Newcastle's Martin Ward.
Stephen Foster Jnr took his first steps on the road back to
title contention in tonight's opening bout as he outboxed tough
Belrussian visitor Yauheni Kruhlic over six rounds.
Foster Jnr, returning to action after almost a year out
following his European title loss to Ermano Fegatilli, was commend
from the off and cleverly whipped in shots to the head and body
before moving out of range.
Indeed, Kruhlic was redfaced in the first session but hung in
there to give Foster Jnr a decent work out.
Referee Steve Gray scored it 60 - 56 but how Kruhlic got a share
of two rounds is anyone's guess.
Bradford's Tasif Khan defeated Wolverhampton veteran Delroy
Spencer 40 - 37.
Again Khan's shot picking was what told, although Spencer is
always good value and tried until the end.
05/02/2012 23:30:18