Boxing: Woods returns to Sheffield 'needing to be verbally abused'

Clinton Woods has quit his American gym and returned to his home town of Sheffield to train for his rematch against Glencoffe Johnson for the vacant International Boxing Federation light-heavyweight title on Friday because he missed being shouted at.

Last November, Woods and Johnson fought a controversial draw, with Woods believing that he had won the bout despite sustaining a hand injury in the fourth or fifth round of a bruising encounter.

On that occasion Woods had the former double world heavyweight champion Tim Witherspoon in his corner, but for Friday's fight, at the Ponds Forge sports centre, he will have his old mentor, Neil Port.

"In Philadelphia with Tim everybody was calling me champion and telling me I would knock out Johnson but I realise now that I like a few home truths when I am training for a big fight,'' Woods said. "I need to be shouted at and verbally abused to give me an edge.''

However, Witherspoon will still be part of the Yorkshire boxer's team on Friday night and is expected to arrive in Sheffield today to continue his 12-month association with Woods.

The pair started to work together after Woods lost to Roy Jones in a unified world title fight, and the draw against Johnson was their fourth fight in 2003.