Bendall waits on Euro chance

From the archive, first published Wednesday 12th Apr 2006.

STEVE Bendall has been put on standby to challenge Sebastian Sylvester for the European EBU middleweight title in Germany later this month.

The Poole-based southpaw has stressed he will be "fully prepared" if official challenger Dirk Dzemski, who has had an arm injury, cries off late.

Bendall is contracted to appear at the weigh-in the day before the fight, which takes place in the SAP Arena at Mannheim on Saturday, April 22 in front of live Eurosport television cameras. The reigning English champion said: "If I am called up I am fully prepared. I feel great and want the fight.

"It would be a big chance for me and I plan to take it if it happens. It would be a winnable fight. That is why I have trained up for it.

"Sylvester is orthodox, 5ft 7½in and I'm 6ft. He is not a big puncher but he has an impressive work rate.

"It would just be a matter of keeping it long.

"I am fit. I feel good in the gym and if the fight happens I will be ready."

Bendall, who beat Brad-ford's Donovan Smillie on a technical knockout to lift the national crown in Decemb-er, has been in full training since the beginning of the year.

He said: "This fight was originally going to be on March 4, then April 1 and then it got moved again.

"It is frustrating being on standby because I just want to be fighting.

"But because it is a European title, it is a risk worth taking, especially if I do get the next shot.

"I have to fly out for the weigh-in and be ready to step in if there is a problem with Dzemski, who, like Sylvester, is German.

"There is a slight possibility something could happen and I could have the fight.

"Sylvester's camp are also saying that if he wins against Dzem-ski I would get the next shot, al-though until everything is signed and sealed on that front I am not getting over excited about it."

Bermondsey's Matthew Thirlwell meets Ryan Kerr, of Stirling, in an English middleweight title eliminator at Bethnal Green on Friday, May 12 with Bendall, 32, eagerly awaiting a contest against the winner.

Bendall, who also still has his eyes on the British middleweight crown, said: "Whatever happens, I would like to get a fight before taking on the winner in defence of my English title."

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