EAMONN Loughran’s manager and promoter Barry Hearn is trying to ambitiously hook a WBC world title match against 32-year-old once-beaten American Pernell ‘Sweet Pea’ Whitaker.
The dust-up is being planned for St Patrick’s Night in Boston, with Darren Corbett as one of the chief support attractions.
Plans have been made for two warm-up fights for Loughran, beginning on January 28 at the Ulster Hall.
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PETER Grant heads Celtic’s casualty list as the Bhoys prepare for Thursday’s title showdown Ibrox.
The Old Firm derby with Rangers is being labelled the latest ‘Judgement Night’ as the sides fight out their championship battle. Celtic trail Walter Smith’s league leaders by 11 points but have two games in hand so a first victory in nine derbies would cut the potential gap to just two.
Grant missed Saturday’s 4-2 win over Dunfermline with an ankle injury and is still doubtful for the game at Ibrox.
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THE Irish Junior handball squad had mixed luck in America yesterday at the US Junior Nationals in Modesta, California with all of the good news being confined to the ladies.
St Paul’s Sibeal McKenna had to settle for silver after team-mate Anna Wrynn from the Leixlip club in Kildare defeated her in an all-Irish final at 19 & under.
Late withdrawals had forced the organisers to amalgamate the 17 & U with the 19 & U, but the west Belfast girl had beaten Anna in the Waterford Crystal Irish Nationals earlier in the year despite being three years younger, and just lost out in the tie-breaker on this occasion.
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WITH the Christmas rush behind us and the sales now in full swing, a flutter on next year’s sporting events may be the last thing on many of our minds.
But whether you’re a supporter of the Derry footballers or you get a kick out of Alan Shearer, those seldom wrong bookmakers are getting ready to make you an offer you can’t refuse.
In the Ulster Football Championship, Eastwood’s have Derry as 5/2 favourites to win this year’s competition, with the Oak Leaf men 6/1 to lift Sam Maguire.
The wise money seems to be up in the north-west with Donegal at 7/2 for the Anglo-Celt Cup and 9/1 for the All-Ireland, while last year’s Ulster Champions Tyrone are 4/1 and 10/1 respectively.
Dublin are the favourites at 9/2 to lift Sam Maguire, even though Mickey Whelan’s men were beaten by Meath in last year’s Leinster decider.
Conlig’s Eddie Irvine is 33/1 to win the Formula One Driver’s Championship next year.
And at 9/4 Alan Shearer looks a sure thing to finish top goalscorer in the English Premiership.
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EVERTON manager Joe Royle has swooped to sign Republic of Ireland defender Terry Phelan from Chelsea in an £850,000 deal.
Royle moved in quickly for the experienced 29-year-old Republic of Ireland star as Andy Hinchcliffe is ruled out for the season because of a knee injury.
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ANTHONY McFadden, the young light-middleweight prospect being groomed by English promoter Frank Maloney, was the fastest Irish winner on the pro boxing circuit in 1996.
Maloney is also looking after Clones heavyweight Kevin McBride and Vince Feeney and British super-featherweight champion PJ Gallagher, McFadden is listed in the Boxing News ‘fight facts and funnies’ booklet with their bumper Christmas issue as 17th quickest in an Irish or British ring in the past year.
McFadden scored a first round win over Marty Duke in October in 56 seconds. The fastest finish was produced by Norwegian light-heavyweight Ole Klemetsen at Erith on June 29.
He blasted out Sweden’s Luan Morina in not much more than a blink of an eye...12 seconds flat.
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AMERICA’S 33-year-old WBU super-middleweight champion Vinny Pazienza is being touted as a prospective challenger to Ireland’s undefeated world champion Steve Collins.
A match is forecast for sometime in the year ahead with the money men in the USA quoting Pazienza as a 7/5 underdog while Bernard Hopkins is a 15/1 long-shot for a possible IBF championship clash with Roy Jones.
