Monaghan looking to get back in British title mix by Tom Podmore Oct 28th 2007

Nottingham-born former Midland Area light-heavyweight champion Michael Monaghan wants to make his many critics eat humble pie before he calls time on his eleven-year professional career. The ambitious Lincoln-based switcher fights Ingle-trained Paul David for the vacant Midland Area twelve-stone title at the Nottingham Arena on November 9 and is resolute on setting the record straight about his credentials. Monaghan has won 17 fights in his professional career, including good wins over hard-hitting Rod Anderton and future British Masters boss Gary Beardsley, but 21 defeats – albeit in very good company – have left a nasty-looking stain on his ledger. He recently (Leicester, October 6) lost a fair six-round decision to Bedworth's Neil Tidman, originally due to defend his Midland title against David on the Froch-Reid bill, by a single point and feels he should have got his hand raised for the eighteenth time. Monaghan, however, believes his record does not illustrate a true picture of his career and wants to discard the journeyman tag he has recently and unjustly been tagged with as of late. "A lad said to me the other day that I was a journeyman," said Monaghan, who was involved in a fight-of-the-year scrap with Tyrone Wright in Nottingham earlier in the year. "That is my ultimate nightmare and if he is thinking it, then a lot of other people will think it if they take a look at my record. But the numbers don't always tell the true story." Monaghan is adamant that a number of fights he has won in his career have gone against him and is desperate to show that ability will shine through in the end. "My statistics say I have lost 21 times, but really that should say about seven or eight. "It's very difficult when you are fighting away from home against a home fighter," the Matt Scriven-trained stylist continued. "I have got to get a stoppage against David, if it goes to points I know I will not win." But Northampton's David, 7-3 (3), is iron-chinned and has scored back-to-back wins over English light-heavy boss Peter Haymer and former British title challenge Andrew Lowe. He is a seriously strong fighter in a rich-vein of form. The 31-year-old also believes he has a score to settle with the headliner in Nottingham, Carl Froch, who defends his British title against former WBC champ Robin Reid. "It's quite a weak division," said the switch-hitting scrapper who has challenged for the Irish tile on two occasions. "I fought Froch at the Nottingham Arena in 2003 and was winning the fight quite easily, then he landed one decent punch and the fight was stopped far too soon by Terry O'Connor. "I am desperate to put the record straight. In fact, I would fight him for absolutely nothing," said Mick of the man he once called a friend. "I am mandatory challenger to fight Neil Tidman for the soon-to-be vacant English title, currently held by Liverpool's Tony Dodson, but I am not too bothered about that. "I want to win the British title and defend it three times. Then, after I've done that, I will be able to go to sleep with a big smile on my face."

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