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Tony Jeffries was accused last night of being a pampered fighter.
The Olympic bronze medallist was on the receiving end of a verbal salvo from Ilya Shakuro, who boxes ‘Jaffa’ at Sunderland’s Seaham Centre this Friday in a six round light-heavyweight battle.
Speaking through his interpreter, Belarusian Shakuro (2-1) said: “Jeffries doesn’t have the same hunger that I have.
“How can he? He did well at the Olympic Games and earned a big money contract from some promoter. I just exist from day to day.
“He is spoilt and when it comes to the late stages of our fight, he will not want to know.”
Jeffries, 24, has romped to quick fire wins in his first two professional fights. On his debut, he stopped Shakuro’s close friend Aliaksandr Vayavoda.
The mouth of Minsk added: “I haven’t seen the Vayavoda fight, but he was angry when he came back to our gym.
“He told me that the English referee jumped into far too quickly and that Jeffries’ punches were nothing. If I win this fight I might get more big fights against so called prospects and finally make some money for myself.”
In the Sunderland bill topper, Bristol southpaw Lee Haskins (18-2) defends his British super-flyweight title against Sheffield’s serving soldier Ross Burkinshaw (6-1-2).
The cream of boxing talent in the North-East will also box on the card including local heavyweights Dave Ferguson and Danny Hughes. Newcastle’s fighting brothers John Lewis Dickinson and Travis Dickinson are also in action.
For those of you who can’t get hold tickets when the show is sold-out, you can watch all the action live and exclusive on Sky Sports.
There are a few tickets priced £80 and £40 left. You can get yours from 0871 226 1508, www.frankmaloney.com and Phil Jeffries 0191 564 0202.
