Martinez v Munroe undercard news by Tom Podmore Jan 28th 2008

The undercard to the Frank Maloney-promoted, Sky-televised European super-bantamweight title fight between Leicester's Rendall Munroe, 13-1 (6), and Spain's Kiko Martinez, 17-0 (14), at the Harvey Hadden Leisure Centre in Nottingham on March 7 could have as many as 12 fights. Tickets are priced at £35 and £75 (ringside) for this East Midlands-flavoured fight night. Chief support will come in the form of Nottingham crowd-pleaser Jason Booth, 28-5 (11), who will defend the Commonwealth bantamweight title he won in December for the first time against inexperienced Ghanaian puncher Lante Addy, 5-0 (3). Whilst Addy may have only participated in five professional outings – though I expect the African board will claim at least five or six more – he looks a solid little operator. He went the full 12 rounds in his last contest, winning a WBO intercontinental title. Lante is also his country's national champion. Booth hopes a win will set-up either a European title shot or a third meeting with the current British bantamweight champion, Hackney's Ian Napa. The pair have met twice before – one win apiece – and the Tony Harris-trained entertainer is eager to settle the score after a points defeat last year. Nottingham light-heavyweight Tyrone Wright, 7-1-1 (3) and the Midland Area champion at the weight, will have the sternest test of his fledgling career when he boxes against former IBO super-middleweight champion Brian Magee, 28-3-1 (19), over six-threes. Trainer Jason Shinfield said that Wright was the hardest-hitting fighter he'd ever worked with after his charge stopped Michael Monaghan with a second left in their excellent Midland Area and British Masters light-heavyweight title fight last year. The Northern Irish southpaw will, of course, be a significant step-up from that level. Magee, who gave another Nottingham fighter, Carl Froch, a good test in 2006, is looking to build his career at light-heavyweight after a career at super-middle that saw him within a whisker of a genuine world title fight. He was unlucky not to win European belt in 2005, losing controversially to Vitali Tsypko. The Belfast fighter's last outing saw him draw over 12 with British champion Tony Oakey at the Point in August. The winner can probably look forward to a crack at the winner of Oakey-Haymer, who meet at the York Hall on Friday. Another Shinfield-trained light-heavy from Nottingham, hard-hitting Rod Anderton, 9-2-1 (3), will also box on the undercard. Rod came up short in a Midland Area title fight last year but has gone 2-0-1 since and is seeking another crack at the belt in the coming 12 months. Leicester middleweight Kevin Concepcion, 8-0 (2), is also expected to fight. Concepcion first has to negotiate a six-rounder in Leicester on February 16. If he comes thought that unscathed, he will then box on this show. The talented older brother of Martin has recently signed a three-year deal with Frank Maloney. Leicester middleweight Rasham Singh-Sohi, 1-0 (0) and hard-hitting Mansfield-based light-middle Kevin Hammond, 1-0 (0), both of whom box on the same February 16 Leicester Sporting Club show as Concepcion, are also pencilled in on the undercard. Derby light-welter Scott Haywood, 16-2 (3), Alfreton light-heavy Adie Whitmore, 6-0 (4), Nottingham's returning Barrington Brown, 4-3-1 (2), and Stoke lightweight Gary ‘The Bodysnatcher' Reid, 13-18-1 (8), are all included on the mammoth-looking bill.

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