Boxing: Army training weapon for boxer

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He doesn't know much about the enemy and when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, boxer Sean Sullivan hopes some Army training will help him return home with the Commonwealth welterweight belt next month. Sullivan hardly needed to join the Territorials to hone his fighting skills - the basic training course last November offered mental rather than physical benefits.

The superfit South Auckland fighter, veteran of more than 50 professional bouts, said the stint in khaki was invaluable for sharpening his approach to the ring.

"It made me a little more organised, more focused. I was following what [swimmer] Danyon Loader did and it's done me a hell of a lot of good," said Sullivan, who will fight fourth-ranked Briton Scott Dixon for the vacant title in London on February 5. While great Kiwi heavyweight hope David Tua's wait for a shot at the title has been long-anticipated, Sullivan's tilt literally came out of nowhere.

Sullivan's manager, Phil Kingsley-Jones, told him the fight was on last Friday, prompting the 27-year-old police youth worker to hastily arrange sparring sessions and crank up the gym work.

The fight, at Bethnall Green in London's East End, follows a decision by Ghanaian Kerti Janteh to relinquish the belt in favour of chasing a world title shot in the United States.

"I'm lucky I was doing some active work. I've been doing a little bit of training and didn't let myself settle into Christmas as such. The body's ticking over but I haven't done a lot," said Sullivan, who last fought in November - taking a 12-round decision over Wellington's Tevalu Ioane.

He doesn't anticipate any problems shedding the 4-5kg required to reach his optimum fighting weight of 67kg.

"I'm probably a couple of weeks off full fitness but I'll sharpen up nicely with a lot of gym work. I'll have to get my legs up to speed."

Sullivan admits he knows nothing about Dixon, whose record stands at 19 wins, 2 losses, 2 draws.

"I've got some people over in England so hopefully they can get a couple of tapes for me.

"He's probably been in the gym a bit longer than me but I've probably fought a lot harder guys than him."

Sullivan, boasting a record of 43 wins 7 losses and a "no contest" since turning pro in 1991, welcomed the chance of becoming the first Kiwi boxer to win a Commonwealth title since Monty Beetham claimed the middleweight belt in 1976. "I've been world-ranked for five years so it's nice to finally get a crack at it."

Sullivan will hone his preparations at trainer Karl Turner's Auckland gym and flies out to London on January 31.

- NZPA