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BATTLE OF THE POCKET ROCKETS

Wednesday 26 June 2002

Both standing just 5'8", Canada's Sam Langford and Ireland's Tom Sharkey are amongst the shortest competitors in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation. That apparent disadvantage didn't stop the HBF naming the two talented fighters as the 9th and 24th seeds respectively in their World Championship tournament following last October's auditions. It hasn't stopped them from accumulating a combined 8-0-2(3) record through the tournament's first five series of bouts, either.

A week from tonight the two will clash in one of the most anticipated contests of series six, the fight card scheduled to take place at the Millenium Dome in London, England. Langford and Sharkey have become good friends since the start of the World Championship tournament but neither man doubted that they'll be in for their most difficult challenge to date when interviewed this afternoon at the venue.

"I'm going to be tested like never before," said Langford. "Tom has just been fantastic in his opening bouts and there's no reason to believe things will be any different next week. We're both undefeated and I know that neither of us wants to lose that distinction. I've had a great preparation, but that won't count for much if I can't produce on the night."

Back in London for the first time since his professional debut on the 9th of January, Langford spoke of his interest in attending the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, which started on Monday.

"I'd love to be able to watch Agassi or Sampras, maybe the Williams sisters also," said Langford, smiling. "I'm a big tennis fan so I'm looking forward to that."

As for Sharkey, the Irishman is hoping that his fellow countrymen will come out in large numbers to support him next week.

"I'm going to need them," he said. "When I think of taking on Sam, it's quite daunting and I think I'll need that extra support to pump me up. I feel that I'll have to take risks, to step out of my comfort zone if I want to defeat him."

With London's own Alex Stewart fighting Joe Baksi in the evening's Support Bout and the "Brockton Blockbuster" Rocky Marciano in action in the Co-Feature, it promises to be an exciting night of boxing.

YOUNG AND PATTERSON ARRIVE IN BRISBANE ON SAME FLIGHT

They may be stepping into the ring against each other in nine days, but today Philadelphia's Jimmy Young and New York's Floyd Patterson flew into Brisbane, Australia on the same plane.

"We even spoke for a while," said Young, laughing. "Yeah, we're fighting next week, but that doesn't mean we can't talk to each other, does it? Not every set of opponents has to be like Gene Tunney and Earnie Shavers, man. I've got no problem with Floyd so I'm not gonna ignore the guy. Of course, on the night it'll be all business. We both know that."

Next week's card will be an open air event, with the ring and seating to be set up in the middle of a football field at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium. The main event will be a battle for 1st place in Group Sixteen of the federation's World Championship tournament, with Young (4-0-1) currently occupying the position and Patterson (4-1) in 2nd. But both men are aware that the loser will more than likely drop to 3rd place, as the Florida Firebrand Elmer Ray is nipping at their heels sporting the same 4-1 record as Patterson. He'll be fighting Connecticut's Nathan Mann in the Co-Feature and is an almost unbackable favourite to win.

"It's a huge fight for me," said Young. "If I win I qualify for stage two but if I lose I'll be down in third. That's a big swing on just one result."

Young's victory against Elmer Ray at the end of May was the most watched event in the brief history of the HBF. It was a win that made Young really believe that he deserved his position amongst the #1 seeds in the World Championship tournament.

"Most definitely," he said. "Back in January and February after my first couple of fights I heard folks saying I was a bum, that I didn't belong in the tournament. That was harsh and some of it was warranted, but I feel I've done enough in my three fights since then to show that I can compete with the best this tournament has to offer. If I can get up over Floyd, that'll just be the cherry on top of the cake."

In a fight he was expected to win quite handily, Patterson suffered a shock single punch 1st round KO loss to Buddy Baer back in April. Held at the Hammerstein Ballroom in his hometown of New York, it's a bout that still disappoints him becuase he knows that if he'd won, he would currently be sitting in 1st place in the group standings with a perfect record.

"That was just one moment of carelessness," he said. "But that's all it takes sometimes. I feel like if I can defeat Jimmy, that will bring me some redemption and show that that loss was a fluke more than anything else. I've got a tough road ahead of me with Jimmy next week and Elmer Ray next month, but if I want to be seen as the class of our group I have to take them both out, plain and simple."