The Cobra ‘Stepping Out’ on new ITV1 show

Carl Froch swaps the boxing ring for the dance-floor tomorrow night on ITV1’s ‘Stepping Out’ at 6.30pm.

The Cobra and his girlfriend Rachael Cordingley battle five other celebrities and their partners in the five-week show presented by Davina McCall.

Froch and Cordingley are up against former Westlife star Brian McFadden and his girlfriend Vogue Williams, actress and Loose Women presenter Denise Welch and her husband Lincoln Townley, JLS pop group member Ortise Williams and his girlfriend A.J Azari, TV makeover expert Laurence Llewelyn Bowen and his wife Jackie and Dempsey and Makepeace stars Glynis Barber and Michael Brandon.

Viewers will see their journey from home to dance-floor as each couple tries to master a new dance genre each week. The couples will soon learn that the tango, doing a ballet step, cha cha cha or moving the rumba is not easy and cameras will be following their every move. The show will capture the progression, the joys and the passion of two people learning a new dance routine within a week who just happen to be a real life couple!

Froch defends his WBA and IBF super middleweight titles against George Groves at the Phones 4U Arena Manchester on November 23, and he could be the Stepping Out king before that date.

“This isn't my area of expertise as first and foremost I am a professional athlete,” said Froch. “I have been boxing for 25 years. But I fancied a bit of fun and I reckon the worst that can happen is I could drop Rachael on the head!

“Seriously though, we are trying to do the steps and we are going to clear the garage and make a conscious effort to get it right. We definitely want to do well and I am even finding myself walking around the supermarket doing the Cha Cha Cha!

For Carl, doing something completely out of his comfort zone is part of the reason why he is taking part on the new Saturday night entertainment show.

“This will enable the housewife to get to look at me rather than blokes all the time,” said Froch. “I want people to see a different side to me. And yes I will wear sequins and spandex! When in Rome, you have to do it!

“But it is also nice to not only get to know me, but also my beautiful partner, Rachael. I think she is wonderful. She has a lovely personality and it will be great to share her with the rest of the country. I am proud of Rachael and I want to show her off.

“I am normally a man's person and I don't get on with women that well as they wind me up but with Rachael, I got on with her from the first day we met and we get on in everything we do. Even when it is hard with the dancing, we just laugh.”

"We are both very family orientated and we do spend lots of time together when Carl isn't training," adds Rachael.

The couple have been together for four years and they have two young children, who are being looked after by Carl's mum whilst they train.

“I don't really like leaving them but Carl's mum has been fabulous," admits Rachael. "I love being a mum so much but doing this is a great challenge for me.”

To make life tougher for Carl, he is also preparing to face Groves and so he will be taking up his boxing training again during the Stepping Out series.

But Carl is adamant that the dancing will not be a distraction and he insists he definitely will not be taking his eye off the ball when it comes to his top priority - boxing.

“I also am starting full-time boxing training soon as my next fight has been pulled forward to November,” he stresses. “It is going to be hard with the dancing and defending my two world titles. But I am embracing both.”

But is he worried Groves will think he isn't committed enough to boxing? Shaking his head as he points to his fist, Carl declares: “George might think I am not training but as soon as I hit him on the chin, it's game over. This (fist) is a big hard rock and when it hits his glass jaw, it is going to shatter him.”

It's this forceful personality, which is one of the reasons why Rachael, who has modelled in the past, thinks Carl will be so strong on the dance floor. “I love the fact he is confident,” she says adoringly. “He faces things head on. He is a perfectionist.”

Both don't mind the cameras following them around. “We never argue,” says Carl. “Rachael is so sympathetic and she lets me do what I want boxing wise. She will always look after the kids and she is a brilliant friend to me. I am used to the cameras following me because of the boxing and so it will be alright doing this show.”

Incredibly happy together, both Carl and Rachael reveal they do want to spend the rest of their life together. So is Carl planning on popping the question soon? It would appear ITV's new Saturday night series could be the perfect romantic spot for Carl to ask Rachael to marry him.

“I am waiting for the right moment,” he replies, grinning broadly. “I know, maybe I will do it on the final of Stepping Out...!”

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Super middleweight showdown heads to the Phones 4U Arena

Carl Froch will defend his WBA and IBF World super middleweight titles against George Groves at the Phones 4U Arena Manchester on Saturday November 23.

Tickets for the blockbuster British showdown will go on sale at midday on September 17, when the champion and challenger go head-to-head at the first press conference for the fight. Full details on ticket prices will be released ahead of the sale date.

Froch added the WBA belt to his IBF crown in an epic rematch with Mikkel Kessler in May, with former British and Commonwealth champ Groves extending his unbeaten record to 19 fights on the undercard at The O2.

“I’m delighted to bring this event to Manchester on November 23,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “This 'Battle of Britain' is a fascinating fight between a true legend of British boxing in Carl Froch and a superb young talent in George Groves; it's going to be some atmosphere, some occasion. Phone lines, twitter and emails haven't stopped for tickets since we confirmed the fight. We are expecting another instant sell out when we go on sale on September 17.”

The Phones 4u Arena Manchester has staged some of the biggest bouts in boxing history including classic fights by Mike Tyson, David Haye and Joe Calzaghe, plus hometown heroes Ricky Hatton and Amir Khan.

Central and Northern Area title holders clash on Burns undercard

Scotty Cardle will face Gary Fox at the SECC in Glasgow as the Central and Northern Area lightweight champions go head to head on the undercard of Ricky Burns’ WBO World lightweight title defence against Raymundo Beltran, live on Sky Sports on September 7.

Cardle progressed his record to 11-0 when he beat Maxi Hughes to take the Central Area strap in Blackpool in April, and the Lytham man with a Glasgow heritage hopes his latest bout will act as an effective English title eliminator as he looks to start mixing it with the best in a deep division.

“There was talk about the fight being an official eliminator for the English title,” said Cardle. “That isn’t happening but it is still a good step towards the English title for whoever wins. Kirk Goodings and Paul Truscott are fighting for an eliminator for the English so it could be between the winner of that fight and this fight to go for the English.

“It is a very big division, a very competitive division. I am number ten in Britain in the Boxing News ratings at the moment and I was very pleased to see that and I do fancy mixing it with the best of them in the division. The English title is around the corner for me and I think the British is near enough as well. I want to start mixing it with the domestic greats.

“I know enough about Gary Fox, I have seen some YouTube clips and I think I have learnt enough to beat him. I cannot take him too lightly because he has a great record and it is a step up for me again and I am expecting the best Gary Fox to come out on the night so I am looking forward to it. 

“This fight is a big thing for me because as a pro it is my first fight in Glasgow. Glasgow is where all my family are from, so it is going to be a very big night for me with all my family and friends from Glasgow coming and I am looking forward to them seeing me put on a good show.

“I have always been a Lytham lad, I was born and raised there and I have lived there since the day that I was born. But all my family on both sides are from Glasgow and that is my blood so it is a big thing for me to fight in Glasgow. I have always wanted to fight in Glasgow because I know what kind of atmosphere the fans bring and as well as that my family are all from Glasgow, so I am really looking forward to it.”

Cardle vs. Fox forms part of a brilliant bill in Glasgow. The undercard for Burns’ latest World title defence also features the return of Paul Appleby, Prizefighter light welterweight champion Chris Jenkins, super middleweight prospect Callum Smith plus Jonathan Slowey, Stephen Simmons, David Brophy and Michael Roberts.

Tickets are on sale now priced £40, £60 & £100 available through www.ticketsoup.com or by calling 08443954000. VIP packages are on sale now priced £200 exclusively through Matchroom Sport on 01277 359900 and at www.matchroomboxing.com.

Rocky to face Mohammed Akrong on September 21

Rocky Fielding will face Mohammed Akrong for the vacant Commonwealth super middleweight title at the sold-out Liverpool Olympia on September 21, live on Sky Sports.

Fielding was due to defend his English title against fellow Scouser Tony Dodson but after the former British champion pulled out, Fielding now gets the chance to fight the Ghanaian for the title vacated by George Groves ahead of his World title clash with Carl Froch.

Akrong has 19 wins with 15 inside the distance and faced former World title challenger Marco Antonio Rubio in 2011, with Fielding thrilled to be getting a shot at the title on home soil.

“I’m delighted to be fighting for the Commonwealth title,” said Fielding. “I want to move through the titles and test myself against every possible fighter, so facing Akrong for the Commonwealth is a great chance.

“The fight with Dodson would’ve been a cracker, but that may still come round another day. I’ll be fully focused on beating Akrong in style and with the Commonwealth title around my waist, there’s some big fights out there later in the year.”

Fielding’s clash with Akrong is the second Commonwealth title fight on the card, with a lightweight cracker between champion Derry Mathews and Curtis Woodhouse. Liam Smith and Erick Ochieng clash for the vacant British light middleweight title, Callum Smith will use the show to press his claims for a first title shot after notching four first round wins in a row, while Robbie Davies Jr. returns to the scene of his debut triumph in June.

Former British champion to step up in weight for comeback

Former British featherweight champion Paul Appleby will return to action on the undercard of Ricky Burns’ WBO World lightweight title defence against Raymundo Beltran at the SECC in Glasgow, live on Sky Sports on September 7.

Appleby, who became Scotland’s youngest ever British champion when he beat John Simpson in 2008, will contest six rounds at light welterweight.

The 26 year old has not fought since losing a rematch to Simpson in June 2012 and is already eying compatriot Willie Limond’s Commonwealth title, although a career in the lightweight division is also something Appleby is considering.

“Next week will be a six rounder to get me back into the swing of things,” said Appleby. “After this I will hopefully have one more fight and then hopefully go for titles.

“Any title will do. Willie Limond is the Commonwealth champion at light welterweight and that would be a good fight between two Scottish lads, so that would be maybe something I would go for. But I will wait and see what fights come along.

“[After the Simpson fight] I needed a little break and a little think about what I wanted to do. I decide to come back and move up one or two weights and that is what I have done and I feel a lot stronger and I am really happy to be fighting on this bill.

“I was struggling to make super-featherweight, I couldn’t make it comfortably so I was killing myself to make the weight. For this fight I am going to come back at light welterweight and I feel a lot better and then I will probably move back down to lightweight after that.

“I always knew I would come back but I needed a little bit of time off because I fell out of love with the sport a little bit. I have gone back to my old trainer Terry McCormack and I know I have done the right thing. I feel good again.

“I think the best is still to come from me. In the gym I have been working on things and I feel great, so I think the best is still to come.

“I will still be as exciting but my defence is a lot better now, so I won’t take any stupid punches but I will dish it out. I will be the same exciting fighter that I always was, but with better defence.

“It is amazing to be on this bill, I am really happy that I am coming back to a bill like this. I am exciting and I heard that Michael Buffer is going to announce the main event, and to speak with him will be amazing. Hopefully I can meet him and get a picture with him as well.”

Burns vs. Beltran tops a brilliant bill in Glasgow. Appleby is joined on the undercard by Olympic Gold medallist Luke Campbell MBE boxing for the second time as a pro, Jon Slowey, Stephen Simmons, Scotty Cardle, David Brophy and Michael Roberts.

Tickets are on sale now priced £40, £60 & £100 available through www.ticketsoup.com or by calling 08443954000. VIP packages are on sale now priced £200 exclusively through Matchroom Sport on 01277 359900 and at www.matchroomboxing.com.

Hall of Fame ring announcer heading to Glasgow for World title clash

Hall of Fame ring announcer Michael Buffer will call Ricky Burns and Raymundo Beltran to the ring when the pair clash for Burns’ WBO World lightweight crown on September 7 at the SECC in Glasgow, live on Sky Sports.

The American legend will be whipping up the crowd as Burns steps into the ring in his eighth world title bout and the fourth defence of his belt, and Buffer is excited to be heading to Scotland as the Coatbridge ace tackles the Mexican.

“When Eddie Hearn reached out to me for this event, I jumped at the chance,” said Buffer. “I was originally booked in Los Angeles for JC Chavez's fight which was cancelled and postponed. Eddie asked if I was now free to come to Glasgow for ‘Rickster's’ title defence I couldn’t say no – Ricky has unbelievable fans!”

Buffer wanted some qualified and knowledgeable information on the challenger, ‘Sugar’ Beltran, so he called Hall of Fame matchmaker Bruce Trampler at Top Rank, Inc. – and was told Glasgow can expect a great night.

“I contacted my long-time pal Bruce and he told me this guy is hungry and can crack, he is in tremendous condition and is a very dangerous opponent who gives Manny Pacquiao all he can handle in sparring sessions,” said Buffer. “I think we are in for a great fight and anyone who knows Ricky knows that's the only way he would want it to be. He wants to fight the top guys in his division. In his last fight he was behind, knew it and reached down inside with that will power to win that all great athlete have. Ricky is something special. I'm just damn glad that I have a chance to be in Glasgow again for this one.”

Burns vs. Beltran tops a brilliant bill in Glasgow, with Olympic Gold medallist Luke Campbell MBE boxing for the second time as a pro and joined by the return of British featherweight champ Paul Appleby, Jon Slowey, Stephen Simmons, Scotty Cardle, David Brophy and Michael Roberts.

Tickets are on sale now priced £40, £60 & £100 available through www.ticketsoup.com or by calling 08443954000. VIP packages are on sale now priced £200 exclusively through Matchroom Sport on 01277 359900 and at www.matchroomboxing.com.

After a tight points loss to current British and Commonwealth Flyweight champion Kevin Satchell, Motherwell fighter Iain Butcher (8-1) is looking to make a quick return to the ring with a fight in early October.


With a few possible dates in October already looked at, booking a venue and date is proving to be the easy part, matching the 21 year old is again causing a few nightmares for his Promoter and Manager Paul Graham


“Before the fight with Satchell, It was quite a task to get Iain any fights, never mind competitive ones that would give him experience. Now that he has had the television exposure its proving even harder to get him opponents for our next show.


“Going into the Satchell fight, I would have said that Iain was the best kept secret in British boxing, and after his performance in his last fight he really showed why people rate him so highly in boxing circles, and he defiantly won over a new set of fans in both the Arena and in viewers.


Not one to avoid challenges, Graham adds “I have tried offering a few fighters the fight with Iain, but had no luck with them taking the challenge for what ever reason.I have a few more that I am working on and I am confident we can announce something soon, but if there is any Flyweight out there in Europe who would like the fight with Iain, get in touch and lets see what we can do.

The Champ looks so comfortable holding my daughter Skyla, he will make a great dad.

Scotsman insists his focus is strong as he prepares for fatherhood

Ricky Burns says he is 100 per cent focused on his WBO World lightweight title defence against Raymundo Beltran at the SECC in Glasgow on September 7, live on Sky Sports, despite playing the waiting game for the birth of his first child.

The Coatbridge star defends his World title for the fourth time against the Mexican, and had hoped to become a father for the first time on Friday. Ricky and his wife Amanda are still waiting to become parents though but the 30 year old insists impending fatherhood is something he’s excited about and it won’t prevent him from putting on a top performance against ‘Sugar’.

“The baby is due at any time now but it's not been a distraction,” said Burns. “Amanda was working until a couple of weeks ago and has only just gone on maternity leave really, the due date was last Friday so it could be any time now. Obviously we don't want it too close to the fight but things are looking good and Amanda and the baby are both fine which is great.”

“The midwife told Amanda recently that she was quite low-maintenance and I agree! She's just got on with it and it's been great, and I just can't wait to meet him or her. It's dragging on a bit, the baby is healthy so it's just a waiting game and we're getting a bit impatient - and I'll be playing the waiting game again in the fight week to get in the ring to face Beltran.

“We don't know if it’s a boy or a girl so that’s going to be exciting. We haven’t decided on names yet, Amanda thinks it's going to be a girl and she's got some names in mind but if it's a boy it's going to be baby Burns for a few days until we get a name sorted.”

Burns vs. Beltran tops a brilliant bill in Glasgow, with Olympic Gold medallist Luke Campbell MBE boxing for the second time as a pro and joined by Jon Slowey, Stephen Simmons, Scotty Cardle, and David Brophy, with more names to be announced soon.

Tickets are on sale now priced £40, £60 & £100 available through www.ticketsoup.com or by calling 08443954000. VIP packages are on sale now priced £200 exclusively through Matchroom Sport on 01277 359900 and at www.matchroomboxing.com.

Mexican challenger reading nothing into Gonzalez performance

Raymundo Beltran is ready to face the best of Ricky Burns when he challenges the Scotsman for the WBO World lightweight title at the SECC in Glasgow live on Sky Sports on September 7.

The Mexican is Burns’ fourth defence of the title and the champion will be under pressure to perform after a heart-stopping fight in the city in May when Jose Gonzalez threatened to end his reign before retiring ahead of the tenth round against the Coatbridge star.

Burns has promised his fans that there will be no repeat of the drama at the Emirates Arena, where Gonzalez hurt him in the seventh and looked to have the 31 year old beaten, with Beltran saying that fight will have no bearing on their clash.

“I saw his last fight, but I’m not thinking about his performance,” said Beltran. “I’m not thinking that Burns is going to be an easy fight.  I have to be prepared for a more dangerous Ricky Burns than we saw in that fight, it helps motivate me.

“I’m ready and motivated for September 7, everything is going well. It means a lot to fight for the World title, it’s every boxer’s dream. It opens up the door to big fights. I want to fight the best fighters at lightweight.

“He’s a champion, he’s strong. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and I’m training very seriously to face the best version of Ricky Burns.”

Burns returns to the SECC for the first time since stopping Londoner Kevin Mitchell in his first defence of the crown on a noisy night in Glasgow. With Scotland’s football team facing Belgium the night in a World Cup qualifier Hampden Park the night before the clash, it could be a golden weekend for Scottish sport, but the 32 year old is planning to spoil the party.

“I don’t mind where the fight is,” said Beltran. “I’m thankful for the opportunity and I thank Ricky Burns and his team. I’m just going there focused on my work, not thinking about anything else. We’re ready to fight over there.

“I saw that Gonzalez was leading on the cards against Burns, so that gives me confidence.  I think that the pressure is all on Burns, he has to win over the crowd and look convincing after his last fight. 

“I can beat him either way, a knock out is the best way but I’m just thinking that it’ll be a hard fight. Points or knockout I will win.

“I’m fighting for the world title at the right moment in my career.  Things happen for a reason, I’m ready for the world title.  Things which happened in the past prepared me for this.” 

Burns vs. Beltran tops a brilliant bill in Glasgow, with Olympic Gold medallist Luke Campbell MBE boxing for the second time as a pro and joined by Jon Slowey, Stephen Simmons, Scotty Cardle, and David Brophy, with more names to be announced soon.

Tickets are on sale now priced £40, £60 & £100 available through www.ticketsoup.com or by calling 08443954000. VIP packages are on sale now priced £200 exclusively through Matchroom Sport on 01277 359900 and at www.matchroomboxing.com 

Darren’s trainer believes Geale win will lead to huge Brit nights

Darren Barker’s trainer Tony Sims expects his man to rip the IBF World middleweight title from Daniel Geale in Atlantic City, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 2am on Sunday – sparking a run of classic all-British middleweight showdowns.

Barker takes on the Australian in his second World title challenge in the city, after Sergio Martinez stopped him in the 11th round of their clash in October 2011. The 31 year old has shaken off his old injury worries and Sims believes he’s in the perfect place to realise his World title dream.

“Mentally and physically he's so up for it and it's a massive opportunity for him,” said Sims. “It's a winnable fight for him and he's had no injuries in his preparation – I really believe it's his destiny to win this. Sometimes you have to be in the right place at the right time to land major belts and that's exactly where I think Darren is.

“Darren's had that big fight experience in America against Martinez and he's got that experience to call on but this is all new to Geale. He's a good fighter, they don't hand World titles out for nothing, but there's pressure on him to impress in America.”

Victory for Barker would break the duck of the ‘big three’ domestic middleweights in World title challenges. Martin Murray and Matthew Macklin share five World title challenges between them and Sims says that if Barker can land the big prize, the domestic battles the fans crave could become a reality.

“He'd have mandatories to do but after that, the domestic fights are there,” said Sims. “Martin Murray is a great fight, he did brilliantly against Sergio Martinez and that's a really big fight, Andy Lee is another good fight, Matthew Macklin has to rebuild a little bit after losing to Gennady Golovkin, you can't jump straight back into a World title fight after a loss in another. There's also some really good kids coming through like John Ryder and Billy Joe Saunders who aren't ready to test themselves at that World level but they're progressing rapidly - so the domestic scene is looking really good.”