Appleby is upbeat over first defence

Published on Thursday 30 October 2008 08:50

SOUTH QUEENSFERRY'S British featherweight champion Paul Appleby is confident he will see off the first challenge for his nine-stone Lonsdale Belt from Newark's Esham Pickering on November 28 at Glasgow's Bellahouston Leisure Centre, because he has been preparing for a tougher fight.

Appleby was expecting to face Manchester's Stevie Bell and expects an easier ride against Pickering, despite his opponent being a former European, British and Commonwealth super-bantamweight champion.

He said: "Bell would have been tougher than Esham Pickering in my opinion, but that certainly doesn't mean that I'll be taking him lightly. He will be a tough challenge but I think I have the punch power to beat him."

Appleby is aiming to win the Lonsdale belt outright, which means two defences of his title. "As I've said before, my first priority is to win a Lonsdale Belt outright and beating Pickering will be my first step towards achieving that aim."

Appleby was starting serious sparring today with Edinburgh's Commonwealth Games welterweight champion Kevin Anderson, said Appleby's coach, Steve McGuire.

Meanwhile, Edinburgh boxers Steve Simmons and John Thain have been chosen to box for Scotland next week at Liverpool in the European Senior boxing championships.

Simmons, a heavyweight, fights for Leith Victoria, while Thain, a Scottish light-welterweight champion, fights out of the Gilmerton club.

&#149 LOCHEND professional welterweight Gary McMillan will top the bill over six, two-minute rounds on Saturday against a selected opponent on his manager Alex Morrison's show at Glasgow's Thistle Hotel.