Anthony Small to face Takaloo? by Ian McNeilly Sep 10th 2007

If Anthony Small wants a reasonably high profile match to come back from his crushing defeat by Bradley Pryce last season, he would do well to adhere to the wishes of the BBBoC. The Board has put out to purse offers a match between Small and Mehdrud Takaloo for the vacant Southern Area light-middleweight title.  Gary Woolcombe has vacated the belt he won by beating Gilbert Eastman in May 2006 - Woolcombe never got round to defending it. Although Takaloo is only 31 (not ancient in this day and age) he must be coming towards the end of a career hampered by recent relative inactivity.  He's only fought seven times in the last three years - and has lost three of those (pts 8 Eugenio Monteiro, a devastating second round KO to Wayne Alexander, and pts 12 last time out to Michael Jennings). The Jennings loss was Takaloo's first defence of the pointless WBU belt he won against a moribund Eamonn Magee. Having seen Small plenty of times early in his career, I did suspect he was more style than substance and despite going by the ridiculous moniker 'Sugar Ray Clay Jones Jr' he was never as elusive as he believed himself to be.  Pryce proved this by giving him a shellacking in July in defence of his Commonwealth title. As far as Area title fights go, this, if it happens, will be more interesting than most.  Has Small learned anything at all from his first defeat?  Even if he hasn't, has Takaloo got enough left in the tank to take advantage? Although the deadline for purse offers is early October, the fight is not mandated to take place until the end of February 2008.  However, one can see little reason for either man wanting to hang around.

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S . Area Sep 17th 2007, 11:46:02 by oliverfennell Not wishing to belittle a proud championship, but an Area belt is somewhat beneath where Takaloo and Small belong. This is an English title or British eliminator at worst.