ALEX ARTHUR has pledged to "hit the ground running" in his pre-fight preparations after his manager Frank Warren won the right to stage Arthur's challenge for Dominican Joan Guzman's WBO super-featherweight title in Britain.
Aide Dennis Gilmartin submitted the successful bid of $280,000 on Warren's behalf.
A spokesman for the WBO in Puerto Rico confirmed: "This successful bid means the fight will be staged on Saturday, April 26 in either Glasgow, Edinburgh or L
ondon."
And Arthur has already made plans for Guzman.
The Capital fighter, already the WBO interim champion after Guzman's dithering over whether to move up a weight division, said: "I'm delighted that my challenge to Guzman will go ahead in Britain with Edinburgh and Glasgow strong favourites to stage the show.
"But nobody has to remind me that Guzman – whose nickname is Little Tyson – is going to be my most difficult opponent yet.
"The guy is sheer class and only a world-class performance by myself will guarantee that I win the title. I make no bones about it – I'm the underdog here – that's why I've already hit the ground running in my preparations.
"I've already studied Guzman on video and my fitness and strength coach, John Watson, has also studied him. John has prepared a special strength-enhancing programme for me as we reckon power is one of the keys to beating Guzman. He's a runner who needs to be slowed down by body shots, so we'll work on making my already destructive left hook to the body even more destructive. Also, I've already fixed a date early next week with my ring corner team of Terry McCormack and Austen Handren, to discuss a plan of campaign on how to tailor my training and ring strategies towards beating Guzman (pictured right]." The fight may not be until April but Arthur, whose only pro defeat so far came against Manchester's Michael Gomez, isn't hanging around.
He added: "Guzman is my biggest-ever ring test so my philosophy is the sooner I get started, the better I'm going to be ready for him.
"I naturally hope that the fight will take place in either Edinburgh or Glasgow and I know that, if anybody can make that happen, Frank Warren can.
"I didn't fight anywhere near as well as I can against Steve Foster at Meadowbank in December but I hope that Guzman and his team think that was me at my best – then I'll be able to surprise them."
Meanwhile, Leith Victoria's Olympic heavyweight hope, Steve Simmons also faces his toughest-ever career test later today in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, when he clashes with Cuban Osmay Acosta, who has already qualified to box for Cuba in the Beijing Olympics later this year.
Simmons said: "Acosta is by far the best heavyweight boxer that I've ever fought, but I'm still glad that I've drawn him. It will let me see just what I could be up against if I qualify for Beijing."
The full article contains 502 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
