Ferguson vows to win Prizefighter in front of home fans
Prizefighter contender David Ferguson will be fulfilling a career ambition by fighting at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle next month.

Wallsend-based Ferguson is one of the favourites to win the £25,000 top prize when the Prizefighter Series hits the North East on September 12.

Ferguson, 32, who reached the semi-finals of the first Prizefighter event in London in April, has set his sights on victory in front of his home fans.

“The Geordies haven’t had anything big in boxing for a long time but I’m going to go out and give them what they want,” said Ferguson.

“I can’t wait to walk out into the Newcastle Arena with all those people shouting for me.

“To fight there in front of my home crowd is the pinnacle and this will be a very big night for me.

“If I couldn’t get motivated for the thought of lifting the trophy in front of my home fans then I wouldn’t be in boxing.

“Even if I won the British heavyweight title, unless I fought at the Newcastle Arena, then it would not be the same as winning this.”

Prizefighter will see eight top British heavyweights compete in an action-packed evening of frenetic, exciting boxing.

Four quarter-finals, two semi-finals and a final will be staged in one night with each contest lasting a maximum of three rounds.

Ferguson, who trains in Sunderland, is one of only two fighters who appeared in the first Prizefighter and he believes that added experience will take him to glory.

“I’m looking forward to doing it again and hopefully winning it,” said Ferguson.

“The first one was a lot harder than I thought it would be and every fighter will come for a war. It will be a battle of wits and fitness.

“But I’ve learnt not to go out like a maniac from the start.

“You think as it’s only three rounds you will walk it but it’s completely different when you get in there.

“I’m going to do a lot more running in training this time. I’ve been on a number of runs and been running 25 to 30 miles a week, while before the first one I was doing short sprints.

“The other guys will not realise how tough it will be and boxing an eight-round fight compared to three lots of three-rounds is very different.

Barry Hearn, chairman of promoters Matchroom Sport, believes Ferguson has a great chance of victory.

“He put up a great show in the first Prizefighter,” said Hearn. “David is here on merit and put up a cracking performance in London in April.”

The eight fighters are Chris Burton (Darlington), David Ferguson (North Shields), David Ingleby (Morecambe), Ian Millarvie (Hamilton, Scotland), Darren Morgan (Swansea, Wales), Pele Reid (Birmingham), Sam Sexton (Norwich) and Lee Swaby (Lincoln).

Danny Hughes (Sunderland) and Luke Simpkin (Swadlincote, Derbyshire)

Following the recent parting of the ways with long time trainer and friend Billy Graham, IBO junior-welterweight champ Ricky Hatton has broken his silence and revealed his version of the split between one of the most successful partnerships in British boxing.

Graham revealed recently that he had been sacked by the popular Manchester ‘Hitman’ but Hatton insists that his highly physical workrate was becoming too much for Graham’s body to handle.

Speaking to Steve Lillis in the News Of The World Hatton said: "We had a meeting and I said, ’Billy, you’re falling to bits. You admitted on T.V that you’re physically beaten and told me you can’t even swim with your daughter.’

“The work has got harder for Billy over the years and he has been a bit slower. That is not his fault, but he is in his 50’s and can’t do what he could at 33 or 43. I love Billy, but can’t have a trainer who has admitted umpteen times that he is physically beaten. How can I expect him to be okay for the next 12 weeks while I’m preparing to fight [Paul] Malignaggi?"

The ‘Hitman’ went on to say: "How do I know how hard or correctly I’m punching when he had needles and cannot feel his hands when we’re on the pads? He might say, ’You’re hitting hard’ but I would be thinking, ’How do you know? You can’t feel your hands.’ If he thinks anything of me he’ll have a good look in the mirror and admit, ’I’m falling to bits. I’m physically done.’

"I don’t want to hear from my trainer, ’Don’t worry, Rick, I’ll get through this training session.’ It is me who has to get through sessions because I’m the one taking the punches [in fights]. Maybe I should’ve realised Billy was struggling a couple of fights ago, but I’ve put it off and put it off. Billy thinks other people have conspired for him to leave, but I am the boss and make the final decisions."

Graham, however, sees the situation differently insisting that he was sacked and always intended to see out his training career with Hatton.

Speaking exclusively to British Boxing.Net Graham said: “I had said that it was always my intention to see out my time in boxing as Ricky Hatton’s trainer. I made the decision to accept the injuries that come with the role in order to retire with the fighter who I will always be remembered for. My retirement was brought forward because I was sacked from my role. I said I would leave (boxing) with Ricky and (I) wouldn’t carry on in the sport after he had retired. The way things have panned out means I have brought my own retirement forward.”