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

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."