ALEX ARTHUR has hit back at claims that he lacks the "special quality" to be a world champion.
Edinburgh super-featherweight ace Arthur is already the interim WBO champion and faces a title showdown with Dominican Republic fighter Joan Guzman in March.
And former world champ Scott Harrison from Glasgow has been touted as a possible future
opponent for Arthur.
But Harrison's father, top boxing coach Peter, claimed that Arthur didn't have the ability to beat Guzman and the special quality which made his son a world champion.
Arthur responded to the claim by saying: "It is really sad that Peter Harrison should make these kind of comments.
"Back at the start of my pro career – when Peter was my coach and Scott Harrison and I were both managed by Frank Maloney – I used to handle Scott quite easily in sparring sessions.
"I was just starting out then and I've come on a ton since then.
"Until I beat Guzman – which I've already acknowledged will be a really tough test – then Peter's remarks must remain speculation. But what he has done by trying to cast doubts on my credentials as a world-class boxer is to give me an extra slab of motivation.
"Only time will tell which one of us is right about my ability. In fairness to Scott Harrison, he has publicly said that he hopes that I beat Guzman in order to set up a future fight between us for the WBO title."
Harrison lost his licence more than a year ago after failing to defend against Nicky Cook because of weight problems.
He faces a trial on assault and breach of the peace charges on February 11 and will hear after that if his application to the British Board of Boxing Control for the return of his licence has been successful.
Meanwhile, Arthur is more concerned about the Guzman clash, saying: "I've been led to believe that Guzman hasn't yet put pen to paper on the contract to fight me in April – despite the WBO announcing that my manager, Frank Warren, had won the purse bids to stage the fight here in Scotland.
"As I understand it, Guzman has until the end of this week to do so. I just hope his reluctance to do so far isn't a symptom of him being poised to run out on my fight with him in April the way he did previously with Scott Harrison."
Meanwhile, Edinburgh's unbeaten super-middleweight ace Kenny Anderson – currently training in Los Angeles – will be joined on a Braveheart Promotions show in Glasgow on March 22 by his Capital stablemates featherweight Jason Hastie and welterweight Gary Young.
The full article contains 449 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
