Boxing: Roses rivals on course to upstage Hamed

Of tonight's three world title fights, only one really interests boxing fans, says Harry Mullan

In the long ago days when there were only eight world titles in the market, it would have been unthinkable to have three championship fights on the same card. Now there are 85 titles on offer from the five recognised governing bodies - a bizarre misnomer in this most free-wheeling and uncontrolled of sports - so it is not as big a deal as the salesman at Sky Sports would have us believe when three titles are at stake on tonight's promotion at the Nynex Arena in Manchester.

Naseem Hamed defends his World Boxing Organisation and International Boxing Federation versions of the featherweight title against Sunderland's Billy Hardy in the main event, but while he will command the headlines and the seven-figure cheque, the principal interest for boxing fans is the Lancashire v Yorkshire match for the World Boxing Council super-middleweight title when Robin Reid from Runcorn defends against Henry Wharton from York.

The fact that this, in real terms, is no more than an outstanding British championship pairing offers its own comment on the state of world boxing. Not even Reid, a modest and engaging young fighter, would claim to be the best in the world in a division which includes his WBO rival Steve Collins and the World Boxing Association's Frankie Liles, but the fight is none the less appealing.

Frank Warren, who manages the undefeated Reid, and Mickey Duff, who has now steered Wharton to three world-title bids, have struck a pounds 50,000 side bet on the outcome, with Wharton himself putting up pounds 15,000 of Duff's stake.

It is that rarity, a genuine even-money pairing which would probably have sold the arena on its own, even without the added attraction of the Hamed fight and the late-career opportunity given to the popular local light-middleweight Steve Foster, who challenges for Ronald Wright's WBO championship in the night's third title fight. Wharton, 29, was outpointed by Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank in previous title bids, but claims to have learned from the experience.

Reid, 26, won his title the hard way by stopping an Italian in Italy and has retained it once. Curiously, the fight in which he became champion was also the first time he had topped a bill, so he will be comfortable in playing a supporting role to Hamed. Wharton, a seasoned campaigner with only two losses in 28 fights, represents by far the severest test he has yet faced.

Vincenzo Nardiello, from whom Reid took the title, was soon demoralised by the Englishman's power and presence, while Giovanni Pretorius, Reid's first challenger was a blown-up light-middleweight who, whatever the official weights claimed, looked to be several divisions lighter than the champion.

Wharton is the heavier one-punch hitter, particularly with the left hook, but tends to be one-paced and predictable, which could be his undoing against the smooth and versatile Reid.

Like Wharton, Hardy has been the mandatory challenger for more than a year and Hamed has made it plain that the gritty, vastly experienced Wearsider would not have been his ideal choice of opponent. Hardy has won 14 of his 18 title fights at every level across 14 years and two weight divisions, and performed well in two bids for the IBF bantamweight title. Yet it would be a huge shock were he to win tonight, and he will have performed above expectations if Hamed is taken past the half-way stage.

Steve Foster's WBO title chance is an overdue "thank you" for services rendered in a long career, but the 36-year-old is likely to be painfully out-classed by Wright, who trounced Foster's more gifted stablemate, Ensley Bingham, on his previous appearance here. But at least Foster's army of supporters, who wear Viking helmets in honour of their man's nickname, will lend colour and passion to the proceedings.