Sport

Ulster Hall victory could fire Darren Corbett on to world title stage

VOICE OF EXPERIENCE...Irish and Commonwealth champ Darren Corbett chats with former World bantamweight champion John Caldwell at last night’s weigh-in at the Europa Hotel in Belfast
VOICE OF EXPERIENCE...Irish and Commonwealth champ Darren Corbett chats with former World bantamweight champion John Caldwell at last night’s weigh-in at the Europa Hotel in Belfast VOICE OF EXPERIENCE...Irish and Commonwealth champ Darren Corbett chats with former World bantamweight champion John Caldwell at last night’s weigh-in at the Europa Hotel in Belfast

DARREN Corbett is out to box to order tonight, with a future crack at the WBO cruiser weight champion Carl Thompson in his sights.

But Corbett must first aim to carve up a bit of International Boxing Organisation bacon for himself, with victory over Ukrainian export Konstantin Okhrei at the Ulster Hall in Belfast tonight.

Corbett’s coach Gerry Storey says Corbett is back in fine fettle.

“Everything’s sweet,” he says.

“Darren has worked very well in the gym, concentrating on certain moves he knows he has to bring back into his performance, working on tactics.

“Certainly it is made more difficult when you are faced with a late change of opponent. The Ukrainian is unknown to us.”

It is understood that negotiations between Corbett's promoter Barry Hearn and Carl Thompson’s deal-maker Frank Warren are ongoing.

John Wischhusen, the chief PR spokesman for Hearn’s boxing interests at Matchroom, insists Corbett’s credentials as a world title contender are very much central to substantive talks with Warren.

An autumn ambush is being looked at.

ST Malachy's College, Belfast will have the chance of creating Penn Relay history next year after retaining their U17 medley relay title at the invitational meeting in Philadelphia over the weekend.

No school has previously won the U17 event in three successive years but to aid the possibility, University of Pennsylvania officials have already promised the Belfast squad an all expenses paid trip to the meeting next April.

The St Malachy’s quartet of Joe McAllister, Francis McCaffrey, Conor Sweeney and Colm McLean came home in 10.07.77 which left them almost 10 seconds ahead of runners-up for the second successive year Springfield College, West Virginia.

RANGERS manager Walter Smith was yesterday “severely censured” by the Scottish Football Association, but avoided further action despite a warning about his future conduct earlier this month.

Smith faced the SFA’s Disciplinary Committee today at Park Gardens in relation to “his conduct in the latter stages” of the Old Firm Scottish Cup semi-final with Celtic at Parkhead.

It is understood the matter did not relate, as Smith himself thought, to his embrace of Jorg Albertz after Rangers’ second goal, but was linked to his stepping out of the area around the dug-out throughout the second half.

WHEN Manchester United complete their £10million club record signing of Jaap Stam sometime next week, it will end a near year-long chase for the Holland defender by the champions.

United manager Alex Ferguson revealed yesterday that he has been pursuing the PSV Eindhoven star for almost 12 months.

“Everyone recognises Jaap Stam as a world-class defender and that’s what we need.

“I’m very pleased that, subject to the formalities, we have finally managed to sign him,” said Ferguson

LINFIELD were last night fined £250 by the IFA senior clubs committee for the encroachment of a supporter into the Windsor Park dressing room in the aftermath of last month’s infamous clash with Glentoran.

The supporter is alleged to have verbally abused Glentoran manager Roy Coyle.