Boxing: Kenny keen to give fight fans a show in Portobello

Edinburgh’s Celtic super-middleweight champion, Kenny Anderson, is hoping to defend his 12-stone crown at Portobello Town Hall on a planned Alex Arthur promotion on Saturday, December 10.

The proposed bill, which could also feature Capital pro stars like welterweight Gary McMillan and light-middleweight John Thain, would come as a boost to Anderson after a dream trip to fight in Atlantic City next month was called off.

Anderson said: “I was disappointed when my manager Steve Woods told me a proposed trip to box in Atlantic City was off but a fight in Portobello on my own doorstep actually appeals more to me.

“Portobello Town Hall is really like the great York Hall venue in London with the crowd up close which will create a great atmosphere and I’ll have lots of my fans at ringside which I wouldn’t have had in America.’’

Meanwhile, former WBO super-featherweight champion Arthur won’t challenge interim WBO lightweight champion Ricky Burns.

Arthur said: “While it’s true that I recently sent a letter to my promoter Frank Warren about possibly challenging Burns, I’ve changed my mind after talking to people like my coach Peter Harrison and my fitness conditioner, and decided that I have no desire to subject myself to harsh weight reduction regimes like I did before losing my WBO title defence against Nicky Cook. I will fight in future at a weight above Burns at light-welterweight.”