Give it up, Graham

A Leighton Buzzard boxing promoter has called for Luton fighter Graham Earl to consider hanging up his gloves after he pulled out of his comeback clash this Saturday with an injured hand.

The former WBU world, British and Commonwealth lightweight champion was due to top the bill against Jon Baguley at stadiummk, the home of MK Dons Football Club, in the inaugural fight night by Goodwin Promotions and an event billed as the first ever professional fight in the town.
 
After rupturing a nine-year-old thumb injury in training, ruling out his chances of a return after nine months out of the ring, Steve Goodwin said: “Graham’s been fighting a long time and he has to be realistic. I don’t think the British Boxing Board of Control are mad keen on seeing him in the ring.

“It’s a shame Graham won’t be on the bill but it’s not the end of the world. I think he thought he was letting me down but I’ve told him he hasn’t.

“The show will still be very good and we’ve spent money on making it like the ones you would see on the TV.”

Earl first hurt the hand after the points win over Mark Winters in 2001 and had an operation on the injury, commonly known as boxer’s knuckle, which kept him out of the ring for ten months.

He said he couldn’t risk taking to the ring if it meant, “fighting with one hand behind my back”, against Jon Baguley, who has come off the back of a win against Mitchell’s brother Vinny.

He said: “Throughout my career I’ve never done things halfway.

“The Khan one, I still say today, was a fix, and the [Henry] Castle one was an absolute joke.

“I’m not about to do that again.”

Despite missing out on a return the disappointed 31-year-old ( Won 26, lost 4) says he was in talks with current WBO interim world champion Michael Katsidis about a rematch.

The Australian beat Earl in 2007 in a dust-up dubbed by many as the best of that year.

Both fighters were punched to the canvass before the Lutonian’s corner threw the towel in during the fifth round, though Earl insists to this day that it was the wrong decision.
 
Talks have been put on hold after the Queenslander last week agreed to defend his title against Earl’s former sparring partner Kevin Mitchell.

Earl said: “I’ve been working on a huge fight against Katsidis.

“It was all ready to go but we needed TV for it and the dates were already given out.

“Everyone still talks about the first fight.

We’ve been talking for about eight months and we’d both love to do it again, whether it was in Australia or here.

“Who knows, after his fight with Mitchell, it could happen again. I would love to finish my career on that fight.

“I wish I’d finished after our last one because the Amir Khan fight was a joke.

“I think I’ve got five big fights left in me.

The spark is still there. I’m like an addict and I need my fix.”