McCullough and Sinclair set for world title show

WAYNE McCULLOUGH and Neil Sinclair are on course for a double world title show at Belfast’s Odyssey Arena early next year.

Following their respective victories at a sell-out Maysfield Leisure Centre in the city on Saturday night, promoter Frank Warren is eager to fast-track both onto the world scene.

McCullough was fighting his first bout in Belfast since winning the right to a British Boxing Board of Control licence after a two-year battle regarding a controversial brain scan.

And while he took a little time to find his rhythm, it was not long before he demolished the threat of the brave, but outclassed Russian Nicolai Eremeev just five seconds before the end of the fourth round. ''Wayne is a star and he deserves to be on the big stage and that's where I want him to be,'' claimed Warren. I'm looking a world title for him and Neil in February and we're looking at the Odyssey Arena. Wayne showed a little rust, but I think it's time to move him into world title fight. He's 32 and has plenty of experience.''

There seems to be two major options for the "Pocket Rocket," either WBO featherweight champion Scott Harrison of Glasgow or the Dominican Republic's WBO super-bantamweight title holder Joan Guzman.

Warren added: ''Wayne will go and talk it over with his team, we'll have a meeting and decide which one to take. Either fight would be great.'' McCullough, who flies back to his Las Vegas home this week for a short break, is unperturbed at either world title clash.

''I'll talk to my coach and we'll see what to do next,'' he said. ''I've seen both of them and I feel I'm ready now for either of them.''

The former WBC bantamweight champion may have one fight in between his world title assault, just to sharpen his skills which have only been in action three times in the past two years. ''With every round I felt I was getting better,'' he added. ''Eremeev was brave, he took a lot of shots and I could feel that I was hurting him but he stayed in there and didn't go down.

''It was great being back in Belfast. The support was fantastic. I was just happy to be back in the ring again and I thank God every day for that.'' As for Sinclair, who dropped Surrey's Paul Knights in the second with a thunderous three-punch combination before forcing a stoppage after just 77 seconds of the round, is also looking to get back in the world title picture though he is still keen to make the Lonsdale belt his own. ''The Lonsdale belt means a lot to me so I would like to have one more defence so it's mine forever,'' said Sinclair, who lost a WBO

title challenge against Daniel Santos two years ago. Former British light-welterweight champion Mark Winters got his career back on track with a fifth-round stoppage of Manchester's John Marshall, who sustained a nasty cut on his left eye which led the referee to call a halt.