Tabtimdaeng to ffight for WBA bantamweight title at Wembley

[Lite Beer]

Tabtimdaeng to ffight for WBA bantamweight title at Wembley

BOXING: Thailand’s Tabtimdaeng Na Ratchawat will fight Jamie McDonnell for the vacant WBA bantamweight title in England next month.

Ranked third in the 118-pound division, Tabtimdaeng will make his first attempt for the world title against the Englishman at Wembley in London on May 31.

Although it will be his first fight outside the country, Tabtimdaeng’s hanlders said he had a high chance of winning the crown.

“McDonnell is not too tough. He is a bit slow and impatient,” said Tabtimdaeng’s manager Thannin Pitithanasansombat.

“Tabtimdaeng is also more experienced and has been training hard for the bout.”

Thannin said that his boxer may be nervous in his first overseas fight but he would not be affected by the weather.

“It will not be too cold at that time and we will go there seven days before the fight,” he said.

“I believe we stand a good chance of bringing home the title.”

Born in Buri Ram, the 30-year-old Tabtimdaeng holds a 52-2 (34KOs) record while McDonnell, 28, has 23 wins (10KOs), two losses and one draw.

McDonnell is a former IBF champion, having beaten Julio Ceja last May. He was later stripped of the title after refusing to make a madatory defence of his title.

Meanwhile, former world champion Luis Collazo celebrated his 33rd birthday last week by predicting a victory over England’s Amir Khan on May 3.

Collazo and Khan will meet on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather’s welterweight unification showdown with Argentina’s Marcos Maidana and the winner would put himself in line to be the next foe of unbeaten US pay-per-view star Mayweather.

“A win over Khan does put me in the Mayweather sweepstakes, but my sights are set on Khan,” Collazo said. “I am not looking beyond Amir Khan. He is my main focus.

“This fight is my whole career right in front of me. If I beat Amir Khan I have a bigger future in boxing and if I don’t, I have to start from the bottom again.”

Khan was expecting to be the one going against Mayweather, who made the battler from Bolton wait only to pick Maidana over him.

“When Khan looks across the ring, he isn’t going to see Floyd Mayweather. He is going to see Luis Collazo. I am the best,” the US southpaw said.

“I hope Khan is ready on May 3 to fight me, not someone else. It’s going to be an explosive night. Whatever he said he said. Talk is cheap. My prediction for this fight is that I am going to be victorious

-- Phuket News 2014-04-27