Carl Froch will defend his IBF super middleweight World title at the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham on November 28, against an opponent to be named next week.

Froch won the belt in dramatic style at the Capital FM Arena in May, with a stunning fifth round KO win over Lucian Bute and will step back into the same ring this winter to defend the belt for the first time, with the man trying to take it from him unveiled at Matchroom Boxing’s media day on Tuesday August 28.

Tickets for the fight will go on sale at 3pm that day

BURNS EXCITED TO FOLLOW RING GREATS AT THE SECC

WBO World Lightweight Champion Ricky Burns says headlining at the SECC in Glasgow where his ring heroes have fought will inspire him to his biggest victory yet against English rival Kevin Mitchell.

The Scottish hero, who’s had career defining wins against top fighters Roman Martinez and Michael Katsidis, defends his title against Mitchell on Saturday 22nd September in the biggest domestic showdown in recent years, live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546).

Some of the biggest names in British boxing history, including Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank, Naseem Hamed, Pat Clinton and Paul Weir have all boxed at the historic Scottish venue and Burns is excited to follow in their footsteps.

The 27-year-old from Coatbridge has already cemented his legacy as one of Scotland’s greatest ever boxers by winning world titles at two weights and now he wants to prove he’s  the best of British by beating the London scrapper.

“To fight for the first time at the SECC in the biggest and most important fight of my life against Mitchell where all these great names have boxed is an unbelievable honour,” said Burns.

“You can’t get bigger names than Benn, Eubank and Naz, plus Clinton and Weir, they’re like British boxing royalty and I can’t wait to get in the ring and thrill the fans like they did with their appearances there,”

“I grew up listening to stories of when the big fights were there so I was over the moon when my promoter Frank Warren told me I would fighting Mitchell there, it’s a dream come true.”

In March 1993, the Dark Destroyer Nigel Benn defended his WBC World Super-Middleweight title against Mauro Galvano at the SECC; while his big rival Chris Eubank fought there twice defending his WBO World Super-Middleweight crown against Tony Thornton on points and Ray Close holding him to a draw in May 1993.

Burns said, “Everyone knows Benn, he was all-action and one of the greatest British fighters ever.  You just knew he would be in a real fight every time he got in the ring and you would get value for money.  That’s the kind of attitude that I will be bringing to the ring against Mitchell,”

Burns’ boyhood hero WBO World Featherweight Champion Naseem Hamed put on two explosive performance there, knocking out Armando Castro in four rounds in January 1995 and then demolishing Said Lawal inside a round in March the following year.

“Naz was my favourite fighter when I was growing up, he was the reason that I got into boxing and I used to stay up to watch his fights.  In fact, I was more interested in what Naz was wearing as he used to changed his shorts for every fight and all the exciting ring entrances.  I remember the Castro and Lawal fights because Naz was just knocking people cold with his punches, the Lawal knockout was pretty impressive because it was the first punch he threw in the fight,” continued Burns.

Scottish world champions Pat Clinton and Paul Weir both defended their titles at the SECC.  Clinton defeated Danny Porter on points in September 1992 to retain his WBO World Flyweight title, but lost it there in his next defence against Jacob Matlala in May 1993.  While Weir beat Kevin Jenkins in March 1993 and in his next fight made history by winning the WBO World Minimumweight title in only his sixth fight stopping Fernando Martinez in seven rounds.

“Clinton and Weir are legends of Scottish boxing.  We haven’t had that many world champions, but the guys that have won it are pretty special.  For Weir to win the world title in just his sixth fight is pretty amazing.  I was the first since Weir to become a two weight world champion in almost 20 years which was a big achievement for me,”

The Coatbridge star is aiming for a big victory against Mitchell on the biggest night of his life.

Burns added, “It’s going to be an electric atmosphere when I get in the ring with Mitchell and I’m looking to put on the fight of my life to beat him.  It’s a very tough fight, Mitchell’s the next best in the division and he’s really up for the fight so it’s going to be a pretty intense affair in the ring.  In years to come it would be nice to hear people say that they were there at the SECC when Burns fought Mitchell and what an amazing fight it was.”

Burns v Mitchell will be televised live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546).  Join now at www.boxnation.com

Tickets, priced at £50, £75, £100, £150 and £200, are available from Eventim on 0844 249 1000 or online at eventim.co.uk and Ticket Soup on 0844 295 4000 or ticketSOUP.com

 O’MEARA EYEING TREBLE AT YORK HALL

Hitman Steve O’Meara is targeting a hat-trick of first round knockout wins in his next fight at the York Hall.

The unbeaten West Drayton light-middleweight features on the undercard of Billy Joe Saunders’ Commonwealth Middleweight title defence against Jarrod Fletcher on Friday 14th September in a six round contest, live on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546).

O’Meara, who holds the Southern Area title, stopped Ryan Toms last September and then Nathan Weise in December both at the York Hall inside a round and is looking to make it a trio.

“I’m on a roll at the York Hall at the moment with winning my last two fights in a round so it would be great to make it three in a row next month,” Said O’Meara.

“I was as shocked as anyone when I stopped Toms and then Weise one after the other seeing as a lot of my fights have gone the distance, but you know what they say about buses when you wait ages for one and then they all start coming along,”

“Saying that, If it it doesn’t come in the first round then I won’t be too gutted, I prefer to get in the rounds so that I’m building up the experience as I build towards a British title shot.”

Saunders v Fletcher headlines an action packed card that includes Bradley Skeete v Peter McDonagh in a ten-round welterweight contest, hot super-middleweight prospect Frank Buglioni, plus unbeaten prospects Billy Morgan, Gary Corcoran, Mitchell Smith and Ediz Hussein.

Saunders v Fletcher is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546).  Join at www.boxnation.com

Tickets priced at £40 and £60 are available from Ticketmaster on 0844 844 0444 or www.ticketmaster.co.uk or Frank Warren Promotions on 01992 550 888 or www.frankwarren.com