Boxing: Hare eyeing British shot

May 25 2004 By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

JAMES HARE aims to make a victory over Frenchman Malik Cherchari at the Sports Centre on Thursday the precursor to a shot at the British welterweight title.

The 27-year-old from Berry Brow is the mandatory challenger for a crown held by Manchester's David Barnes.

Purse bids are to be submitted early next month, and trainer Chris Aston believes a showdown will take place before the end of the year.

Before thinking about that, however, Hare simply wants to produce the goods in front of his hometown fans at the venue where he suffered the only defeat of his 31 fights as a professional.

That was against Mexican Cosme Rivera, who danced off with the WBF title back in December.

Switch-hitter Hare responded to that setback by crushing Swansea's Jason Williams in two rounds at Bridgend earlier this month.

And he's aiming for another bright display against the 29-year-old Cherchari, who has 14 wins, 10 by stoppage, in 15 outings and holds the WBA international light-welter title.

His sole defeat was in a French light-welter title clash against Brice Faradji a year ago.

Cherchari's scalps include Jessy Moreaux, beaten in six rounds by Hare at Barnsley in 2001.

Thursday's fight is scheduled for eight three-minute rounds, but Hare will look for a quicker finish.

"I was happy with the outcome against Williams," he said.

"I'm not saying this will be over as fast, but I've got to look to do a job in front of my own fans.

"Talk of a shot at the British title is interesting, but I need to give Cherchari full concentration first."

Hare completed his sparring up in Glasgow in the company of fellow Northern Fitness man Dale Robinson, who is also in action on Thursday in a six-rounder against Kenyan Moses Kinyua.

It's a first outing for the Highburton 24-year-old since he made a brave but unsuccessful bid for Jason Booth's IBO super-flyweight title in Huddersfield in March, his first defeat in 16 pro bouts.

Kinyua (seven wins, three losses, two draws) took Booth's brother Nicky the full distance before losing on points in a Commonwealth bantamweight title clash in 2002.

Robinson, the reigning Commonwealth flyweight champion, is looking to move up to bantam (8st 6lb as opposed to 8st) as he plots a British title challenge of his own.