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Ryan Rhodes is confident the gulf in class between him and Sergey Rabchenko will show in their ‘Road To Glory’ showdown.
Sheffield’s Rhodes (46-5) attempts to regain the European light-middleweight crown when he meets Rabchenko (20-0) for the vacant title at Manchester Velodrome on Saturday 16th June.
The Belarusian has knocked out 15 of his victims, but experienced Rhodes said: “There is no doubt that Rabchenko can punch, but he has been knocking out kids who have stood in front of him. I won’t be doing that. The one stand-out name on his record is Bradley Pryce, but he hasn’t fought anybody who is in my class.”
The pair were due to clash last month, but unlucky Rhodes was forced to withdraw because of a back injury. Ironically it was a similar problem that led him to being stripped of the European championship on 2010 when he was unable to fulfil a mandatory defence.
Rhodes added: “I am over my back injury and it is all systems go. My trainer Dave Coldwell is pushing me and so is my conditioner Mark Willie. I have had a back problem since I was 25-years old. I don’t know if it is hereditary because my dad has similar problems or whether it’s wear and tear because I have been boxing since I was six.
“It will be fine when I box Rabchenko and it won’t stop me winning back a belt that I never lost in the ring.”
The ‘Road To Glory’ bill also features a vacant WBA interim super-bantamweight title fight between Scott Quigg and Rendall Munroe, Martin Murray in championship action and Rhodes’ fellow steel city fighter Richard Towers facing Michael Wallisch for the vacant EU heavyweight crown.
There will be a talent stacked undercard that will include former British and Commonwealth welterweight champion Craig Watson (20-5), unbeaten hopefuls Adam Etches (7-0), Scott Jenkins (4-0), Ryan Doyle (1-0), Jimmy Kelly (1-0).
Ticket prices are now on sale priced £125 (VIP Inner Ringside + exclusive cash bar), £100 Ringside, £55, £35 and £30. You can purchase tickets by calling Hatton Promotions hotline 01925 755 222/www.ticketmaster.co.uk/0844 847 2500/www.ticketline.co.uk/0844 888 4402/www.hmv.com
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