Boxing: Alex Arthur and Peter McDonagh head to head

Published on Friday 3 September 2010 11:27

CAPITAL boxing ace Alex Arthur and opponent Peter McDonagh had to be separated at the weigh-in ahead of tonight's Kelvin Hall clash after the Irishman thrust his face at Arthur's head.

McDonagh was angry at Arthur's prediction in the Evening News that he would knock him out and snarled at the Capital fighter: "You are going to be stopped inside the distance just like I stopped Michael Gomez."

Matters became so heated at the scales - where Arthur weighed in at 9st13lbs to McDonagh's 9st12lbs - that a Board of Control Inspector supervising the weigh-in had to intervene.

But Arthur responded to his opponent's pre-fight threat with a confident smile and an equally confident statement: "We'll see all about that."

Arthur added: "McDonagh is clearly livid after my knockout prediction but I just hope he's as upset when the first bell goes because angry fighters always lead with their chins."

Arthur lost to Gomez earlier in his career but went on to hold the WBO super-featherweight title but lost it in his first defence. He has moved up to lightweight after weight problems.

He said: "This this is a great opportunity for me to take the first step on the road to winning a world lightweight title and I'm not going to let McDonagh get in my way.''

Arthur's coach Terry McCormack said: "The worst thing that McDonagh could do is come out looking to trade with Arthur as, if you check McDonagh's record apart from Gomez, who actually quit aganst McDonagh rather than be stopped by him, McDonagh has hardly a single knockout win in 28 bouts.

"Compare that with Arthur's knockout and stoppage rate and you'll see why I'll be delighted if McDonagh carries out his his weigh-in threat and tries to mix it with a proven banger like Arthur.

"Arthur wil take him out with his trademark left body hook if McDonagh rushes in at him."

Also on the undercard of the Ricky Burns v Roman Martinez world title fight, Queensferry's former British featherweight champion Paul Appleby weighed in at an identical 9st 7lb to his Bulgarian opponent, Yordan Vasilev. Appleby's coach McCormack said: "I noticed at the weigh-in that Appleby was both taller and had longer arms that the stocky Bulgarian and Paul does well aganst such shorter opponents so expect plenty of stiff jabs followed by hooks and uppercuts up the middle and I don't expect Vasilev to last the full six rounds.''

Lochend light-middleweight John Thain outweighed his Wishaw opponent Paddy Pollok by two pounds.