Boxing Round-up

KEITH Knox, the butcher from Bonnyrigg, will tonight bid to win his first major professional title at the St. Andrew's Sporting Club in Glasgow and end what has been a period of deep frustration.

Knox will meet champion Alfonso Zvenyika, of Zimbabwe, for the Commonwealth flyweight championship, and knows this could be his last chance to fulfil his ambition. Twice Knox has failed in bids for the British title and also lost out in a challenge for the European crown in Denmark, but he is determined to succeed tonight.

Zvenyika won the vacant title at the same venue in January, when he stopped Irvine's Paul Weir in the eleventh round, but Knox says: ''I'll put him under more pressure than Paul did. He won't dictate the pace and I'll still be in there throwing punches if the fight goes the full 12 rounds. This is my big chance and I aim to take it.''

Not surprisingly, Zvenyika is equally confident and has a distinct advantage in height. He will try to keep Knox at the end of a long jab, but that is easier said than done. It should be an intriguing contest with such a contrast of styles.

Also on tonight's bill, Scottish banmtamweight champion Shaun Anderson from Maybole meets Anglo-Scot Louis Veitch, Kirkcaldy lightweight Gary Burrell fights Simon Chambers, of Sheffield, and unbeaten Motherwell welter Jan Cree goes in against Brian Stanway, of Stoke.

qUNBEATEN Londoner Mark Prince retained his IBF Inter-Continental light heavyweight title, but had to battle before outpointing American Kenny Whack over 12 rounds at Whitchurch Sports Centre, Bristol, on Saturday.

Three British judges gave Prince his eighteenth successive victory by surprisingly wide margins of four, six, and eight rounds. Whack looked to be in control in the early stages, but could not sustain his effort and Prince came on strongly in the last stages to keep his title.

qFRENCHMAN Laurent Boudouani retained his WBA light-middleweight title in Las Vegas with a controversial split decision points win over Panamanian Guillermo Jones.

qFORMER world welterweight Carlos Palomino, 48, announced his retirement after losing his fifth comeback fight to Wilfredo Rivera on points in Los Angeles.