ALEX ARTHUR has been promised a megabucks title fight against Amir Khan if he beats Nicky Cook in Manchester tomorrow and retains his WBO super-featherweight title.
The offer was made by Frank Warren who is the manager of all three fighters. "All these guys are great fighters," he said.
"Fights like Arthur v Khan or Cook v Khan and Kevin Mitchell are there to be made, although neither Arthur or Cook would be
fighting Amir Khan in the near future, maybe in a couple of years. But at least they know that huge fights, as these bouts are, would await the guys who keep winning."
Arthur does not need firing up, but such talk is an added incentive for the Edinburgh star who tops the bill at the MEN Arena while lightweight Khan will box in the main support bout.
Arthur said: "My first job is to beat Nicky Cook which I think could take me 12 hard rounds but I remain confident that I will do just that.
"Some sceptics have said that in a couple or more years when Khan and I get it on for a world lightweight title I'll be pushing my mid-30s while Khan will still be in his 20s, but that's silly talk.
"My hero Joe Calzaghe is 36 and still winning, like my Glaswegian pal Jim Watt who had a highly successful ring career as a world champion in his 30s.
"Watt was a year older than I am – 31 when he first won the world title in 1979 and like Jim Watt I've never been in many gruelling fights or taken the kind of hammerings that shorten a ring career."
Warren spokesman Richard Maynard added: "While it's important to stress that the clash between either Arthur, Cook or Khan is some way down the road, such a fight would be huge and as Frank Warren says it presents all three boxers with a huge incentive to win on Saturday."
Watt welcomed Arthur at yesterday's press conference with some words of encouragement, telling the champion he would win.
Revealed Arthur: "I received a huge boost. Jim affirmed his belief that I can and will, beat Cook on Saturday. Jim is a respected TV boxing pundit now who knows all about winning and holding world titles so I aim to repay his faith by doing the business in the ring."
He has also taken heart from the backing received from one of his early mentors, Peter Harrison, who acted as Arthur's ring coach as he embarked on his professional career.
He said: "Nobody but myself can realise just what a huge morale booster it was to me for my former early ring coach, Peter Harrison to publicly express his confidence in the Evening News earlier this week that I would beat Cook on Saturday, and I aim to repay Peter Harrison's confidence by making his victory prediction a fact."
Meanwhile, Cook's camp his confident he will retain to winning ways after losing his last title fight for the vacant WBO Featherweight crown to Steve Luevano in July last year.
His cornerman and father, Paul Cook, rubbished talk that his son won't be able to live with Arthur's left-hook body punches, especially after Cook was floored by Luevano several times with similar body shots.
"Everybody seems to forget that Nicky was terribly weight weakened for that fight by having to peel off around 5lbs just to make the correct pre-fight poundage.
"But this time Nicky is comfortable at the 9st 4lbs super-featherweight weight and, more importantly, much stronger. He won't have the stamina problems he had in his last world title bid as Arthur is going to find out.
"We've come to win a world title and we're confident that we can do it."
Sentiments echoed by Nicky Cook who said: "I sincerely respect Alex Arthur as a man and boxer, but I believe I have the tools and style to make Arthur an ex-champion. It won't be easy but I aim to be the new world super-featherweight champion come tomorrow evening."
But Arthur had the last word, saying: "As my wife Debbie has correctly said, this fight with Cook isn't just about belts, glory and pride, but ensuring that Debbie and my kids enjoy a secure financial lifestyle in the future.
"That can only be guaranteed if I continue to hold my world title and defend it in future big-money title defences.
"Nicky Cook could wreck that plan if I lost.
"I intend to ensure that doesn't happen by beating Cook tomorrow night."
The full article contains 776 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
