Andy Lee Replaces Martin Murray, Fielding-Blackledge Set

By Terence Dooley

Eddie Hearn of Matchroom has confirmed that Liverpool's Rocky Fielding will defend his Commonwealth Super middleweight title against Luke Blackledge at Manchester's Phones 4U Arena on Saturday night.  The bout takes place on the undercard of Carl Froch versus George Groves and will be a welcome boost for Blackledge, who was pencilled in to meet Paul Smith for the British belt on December 7th and now gets his first major title crack a couple of weeks early.

Clitheroe's Blackledge, 14-1-2 (5), will hope to wrest the Commonwealth title away from Fielding, but the "Rocky from Stock" is on a roll, he picked up the vacant belt by beating Mohammed Akrong in September and is undefeated, 16-0 (9).  Apart from contesting the Commonwealth title, both Fielding, 26, and Blackledge, 23, will be vying to earn the right to challenge Smith, who won the British belt with a scintillating sixth-round stoppage victory over Liverpudlian rival Tony Dodson in June.

Ireland's Andy Lee has also been added to the bill, according to Sky Sports, following Martin Murray's withdrawal from the card, the St. Helens-based middleweight contender was forced to pull out of the big bill after picking up a virus.  Lee, 30-2 (21), will help pique the interest of Ireland-based boxing fans — it also gives the fans in attendance a rare opportunity as it is the 29-year-old's first professional appearance on English soil.

Please send news and views to neckodeemus@hotmail.co.uk or Twitter @Terryboxing.