THIS time last year Willie ‘Big Bang’ Casey was excitedly preparing for a world title fight with Guillermo Rigondeaux.

Election officials in the North will begin preparations today for the official counting of the votes cast in the European Parliament election.

A top election official apologised tonight to voters who were accidentally charged over £5 (€5.75) to receive their polling cards.

A man is in a serious condition in hospital after being stabbed in Belfast today.

Two young men were killed when the stolen car they were in crashed in Belfast early today.

BILLY WALSH will find himself fighting for an Irish title after just a handful of professional bouts when he takes on the experienced James Gorman for the vacant light welterweight title at Neptune Stadium in Cork on January 26.

JOHN DUDDY insisted that a world title fight next year was out of his hands, but it’s looming after his thrilling victory over the former European, British and Commonwealth middleweight champion, Howard Eastman, before a frenzied full house at The Kings Hall in Belfast on Saturday night.

John Duddy will bid to take a further step towards a world title fight in 2008 when he meets American Matt Vanda on February 2.

Derry native John Duddy secured his 23rd straight victory with a win over Howard Eastman at King’s Hall in Belfast last night.

AFTER the fiasco of the aborted McCullough-Martinez fight a week earlier there were no problems at the scales in Belfast yesterday when John Duddy and Howard Eastman weighed in for tonight’s sell-out middleweight contest at The King’s Hall (RTÉ2, 9pm).

FORMER European, Commonwealth and British middleweight champion Howard Eastman bids to turn John Duddy’s King’s Hall dream into a nightmare when they clash at the legendary Belfast venue on December 8.

Former world title challenger Howard Eastman believes he can bounce back into championship contention with a victory over rising Derry star John Duddy when they meet at the King’s Hall on December 8.

WAYNE McCullough says he is ready to shock European champion Kiko Martinez and then go on to fight for the world super-bantamweight title in 2008.

FORMER world champion, Wayne McCullough, is set to challenge the Spaniard, Kiko Martinez, who shocked the Irish boxing public with his first round victory over Bernard Dunne in August.

THE much vaunted John Duddy ‘Homecoming’ gave fans what they wanted in the form of a stand-up fight with Alessio Furlan that went to within 25 seconds of the final bell before referee Emile Teidt halted proceedings.

Promoter Tommy Gilmour has expressed sympathy for Scott Harrison whose ring future is in doubt after his WBO world featherweight title defence against Gairy St Claire was controversially cancelled.

WBO featherweight champion Scott Harrison has withdrawn from the defence of his title on Saturday.

Joan Guzman has withdrawn from his showdown with WBO featherweight champion Scott Harrison in Belfast on May 20.

Amir Khan will take on former European lightweight title challenger Laszlo Komjathi in Belfast on May 20.

Bernard Dunne believes Noel Wilders will wilt before his class and the passion of his Irish supporters in the National Stadium, Dublin tomorrow night.

Brian Magee is preparing to wreck Joe Calzaghe’s future world title plans with an upset victory at Belfast’s King’s Hall.

Joe Calzaghe is set to defend his WBO super-middleweight title against Brian Magee at Belfast’s King’s Hall on March 18.

England’s Jamie Moore suffered a shock third-round stoppage at the hands of Ossie Duran at the King’s Hall in Belfast tonight.

The counting of votes cast in the European election in Northern Ireland gets underway this morning with the Irish and British government anxiously awaiting the results to assess the impact on efforts to revive devolution.

BARRY HEARN believes Brian Magee has proved he is on course to take on the best in the world.

A woman was attacked and raped at a golf course early today after being followed from a nearby dance music venue.

The needs of children suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and their families must be addressed, Northern Ireland Health Minister Bairbre de Brun acknowledged today.