Rogan Will Get Revenge on Sexton, Says Bunce
By Terence Dooley
Steve Bunce has thrown his weight behind Martin Rogan’s bid to regain the Commonwealth heavyweight title. Rogan lost the title to Sam Sexton in eight controversial rounds back in May. Martin, 38, has since had a shake-up on the training side of things – joining up with Paul McCullagh. The rematch will take place at the Odyssey Arena, Belfast on November the 6th.
Bunce told Belfast Media that Rogan will have learned a few hard lessons from the Sexton reverse. “I think he will win this re-match. I don’t think Sam Sexton can fight any better but I think Martin Rogan can fight better,” said Bunce.
“He’s got to win this re-match. He knows it’s a make or break fight. If he wins this, because of his popularity, not just here in Belfast but across Britain, my gut feeling is that he’ll find himself in a position to make some proper money.”
Steve believes that Rogan’s battles with Audley Harrison and Matt Skelton had left Martin jaded going into the battle with Sexton. Now, though, Rogan is recharged and raring to go.
“I had to remind Martin Rogan that I did tell him a week before the Sexton fight that I believed that his body needed a rest,” revealed Bunce. “And he admitted that after the fight. What happens is that when you’re a big guy, and you’re in your 30s he had back-to-back big fights so in a sense he should have had ten weeks recovery. He hadn’t. His body I think was missing a bit in the tank. He was never going to be missing a bit in the heart, was he?
“It doesn’t matter how much guts or how brave you are. If it’s not in the tank you can’t do it. I just thought there was a wee bit missing, but he’s had his break now and he’s fresher.”
Rogan stood back from Sexton after hurting his challenger in that hectic eighth round. Sam spat out his gumshield and Martin, sporting to a fault, stepped off and waited for referee Dave Parris to intervene; Sam rewarded Rogan’s act of kindness by belting the Belfast native in the face, twice. The fiery build-up to the rematch will allow Rogan to keep his edge; the screaming fans packed into the Odyssey Arena on November the sixth won’t hurt his cause, either.
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