Boxing: Collins says 'I can see Kenny following me'

EDINBURGH boxer Kenny Anderson has been tipped to bounce back to title glory following his weekend defeat to George Groves, writes BRIAN DONALD.

Former WBO super-middleweight champion Steve Collins saw similarities between himself and Anderson during the Capital fighter's sixth-round stoppage by Groves as they battled for the Commonwealth title on the undercard of the David Haye-Audley Harrison bout in Manchester on Saturday.

Collins, who mentored Anderson in his early pro days, said: "Right now, Kenny will be feeling as I felt back when I lost key fights to guys like Mike McCallum and I began to wonder if I'd ever win a major title.

"However, I stuck in and eventually beat Chris Eubank for the WBO crown but it was a long, hard road back after my early setbacks so Anderson has got to shrug off this defeat and I believe that he can and will.

"As he sits hurting from his loss from Groves my advice to Kenny is this first defeat is really a blessing in disguise because he will get many more fights now as rival managers will think - wrongly in my opinion - that he will be on the slide. That's what happened to me - I didn't get my big chance until managers and promoters thought I was on the decline so opening up title fight chances that had been previously blocked."