Spike fancies Cologne smash and grab

IF they want somebody to fight Felix Sturm in his own backyard then Corkman Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan will have no problem travelling to Cologne to complete the bill.

Matthew Macklin’s trip to Cologne to fight the veteran champion for the WBA world middleweight title last month ended in controversy when two of the judges, Robert Ramirez and Jose Ignacio Martinez, awarded the fight to Sturm by identical 116-112 scores while the third judge, Levi Martinez, favoured Macklin 115-113.

A split decision the other way round would have been acceptable on the night but even the granny sitting in the corner would not have awarded it to Sturm, particularly after watching the Tipperary Tornado’s opening six rounds.