Bendall sets sights on Title in 2008 by Tom Podmore Nov 25th 2007

Former English champion Steve Bendall is setting his sights on a Commonwealth middleweight title showdown with unbeaten London-based puncher Darren Barker in 2008. The Coventry southpaw returns to action for the third time this year over six-threes against seasoned Ukrainian lefty Alexander Matviechuk at Walsall's Banks' Stadium on Wednesday evening (November 28). Tall Matviechuk, an eight-year pro domiciled in from the frankly unpronounceable Dniepropetrovsk, will be making his third successive appearance on British shores, with only flashy Deptford puncher Anthony Small halting him quickly in 28 professional outings (eight wins, two draws). And should Bendall – a former England International amateur who turns 34 on Saturday (December 1) – come through successfully he is then looking at either an English or Commonwealth middleweight title fight in the New Year. Even though it will be exactly 12 months on December 1 since he lost his beloved English title in eight painful rounds to current British champion Wayne Elcock, Bendall has looked some-way back to his best with confidence-boosting back-to-back wins in July and September. He first forced former Central Area and British Masters challenger Davey Jones to retire on his stool after only two rounds at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall in July. Jones was outjabbed in the early going and a damaged right hand made him bail after six minutes. Alexander appeared on the same Civic Hall bill, by the way, losing a six-round decision to Darlaston southpaw Stuart Elwell, the former Midland Area welterweight champion. Then Bendall came through a bloody eight-rounder with Andrejz Butowicz at the Coventry Skydome in September. The Polish southpaw was always competitive, but was finally hammered to defeat with just over two minutes left in a cracking scrap that saw both cut and forced to absorb solid punches throughout. Now the Paul (PJ) Rowson and Errol Johnson-promoted former British and European title challenger wants to get another win against a solid international opponent and move on to winning major title honours next year. Newly-crowned Commonwealth boss Darren Barker, 16-0 (10), is a man high on the Midlanders list of potential opponents. The former Commonwealth Games gold medallist completed the Commonwealth symmetry by procuring the vacant pro title with a unanimous decision over unbeaten Aussie Ben Crampton just over a week ago. The impressive Barnet stylist has been touted as a future world champion in many quarters. But the Mick Hennessy-promoted fighter holds no fear for skilled Bendall, 27-3 (14), who admitted: “I just need to stay busy, keep winning and see what comes up. "I'm hoping another win will lead to something big next year and I'm hoping to get a Commonwealth title fight against Darren Barker. “Barker is a good boxer, has proved himself to have heart – he had to drag himself off the floor twice against Conroy McIntosh a couple of years back – and possesses a decent dig. "I've got to make sure I put on a show in my next fight on Wednesday night and hope I'm impressive enough to get my chance. "There are still plenty of big title fights out there for me.” Unbeaten Paul Smith, 21-0 (12), the 2002 Commonwealth Games silver medallist, is also a realistic target. The Liverpool box-puncher is a serious prospect, competed in the latest series of The Contender and is in line for a crack at the English belt in 2008. Another clash that has been mooted is one with 14-0-1 (9) Dean Powell-managed Darren McDermott, the reigning Midland Area champion from Dudley. The self-styled ‘Black Country Bodysnatcher' is in line for a British title fight next year. “We'll see,” was all Bendall would say of that fight. “I'll fight anyone but I want to win a top title (English, British, Commonwealth, etc) and he doesn't bring a major belt to the table at the present time.” Though all three of his paid defeats have come via stoppage, Steve has only tasted defeat to quality operators. West Country banger Scott Dann broke him up and stopped him in six for the vacant British title at a vociferous Plymouth Pavilions in the autumn of 2004. Germany's Sebastian Sylvester, now in his second reign as a Continental champion, controversially halted the Coventry boxer in three rounds in a European title challenge – a fight Steve took in Germany on three days notice – in 2006. The aforementioned Elcock, the Brummie who holds the British title and fights for the IBF title against Arthur Abraham in December, dethroned him of his English title in eight one-sided rounds in Birmingham at the end of last year. Defeats in that company suggest only the very best can get the better of the steel-chinned West Midlander, rated at six in BBN's latest domestic middleweight rankings. Smith and Barker certainly fall in to the above bracket, however. But what kind of night is he anticipating from Matviechuk? Alexander has, remember, swapped leather in good company, beaten Yuri Tsarenko (the man who ended Gary Lockett's unbeaten run) and taken the current European eleven-stone champ, Russia's Zaurbek Baysangurov, the distance. Interestingly, the well-travelled 32-year-old has boxed prospects with a combined record of 190-16-4. No easy nights for this iron-chinned campaigner, then. “It promises to be a tough fight as he has long arms, is a southpaw, has a good chin and gave Thomas McDonagh a decent argument earlier in the year. He doesn't come over to be a human punch-bag. “That said, I'm sure I'll be too polished for him and I fully anticipate getting win 28 by the end of the night. I'm a man on a mission now and things are starting to slot together. “There are things to work on, but I'm improving with every fight," added the confident portsider ahead of his date with the Eastern European. “I know a win will put me in a good position for the year ahead.” ------------------------------------- N.B. Since this interview was conducted, it has been announced that Bendall will box Paul Smith for the vacant English middleweight title on February 2 at Liverpool's Echo Arena. Latest British Ratings can be found at http://www.britishboxing.net/rankings.html

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