BURY boxing star Ady Lewis will not need much motivating when he takes on Belfast's Tommy Waite a week on Saturday writes Phil Thorp

Victory over the Irishman will line up a world title shot at Colombian IBO bantamweight champion Jose Sanjuanelo three weeks later.

Not that a chance to call himself world champion will be Lewis's only reason to put one over on the Shankhill Road pugilist.

Waite snatched Lewis's British and Commonwealth bantamweight titles from him in controversial circumstances 12 months ago. Something that the Bury man has not forgotten.

After four rounds of action a clash of heads left Lewis with an eye cut that inexperienced referee Mark Green thought bad enough to end the bout.

And despite his good intentions Lewis's camp were fuming that they did not have a chance to treat the wound, especially as they had one of the best boxing 'cuts men,' Benny King, in their corner.

The Mighty Atom had clearly won every round prior to the stoppage and even Waite's manager Barry Hearn sympathised saying a rematch would be the best outcome.

But that went by the board when, in his first defence, Waite was beaten by Nottingham youngster Nicky Booth in a shock, but deserved, points win.

Ady got his chance to win back his belts last February when he faced Booth in his own Nottingham back yard.

But he went down to a seventh round defeat in what was widely described as 'the fight of the year' by those in the know.

But despite the movitation, Lewis's manager and trainer Jack Doughty is fully aware that the Waite contest will be a tough one and will not let his man be distracted by the possible world title chance.

"The idea is to move Ady up the world rankings so he can have a shot against Sanjuanelo on October 6," he said.

"But it won't be an easy fight because although Ady won the first few rounds before the cut Waite was coming back at him and this bout is only a six rounder."

What that means is that the powerful Lewis won't have the opportunity to wear down his opponent in the stamina sapping later rounds, a tactic that has worked in his favour in the past.

"Ady's kept himself very, very fit throughout the summer and has been getting some quality sparring with Gary Ford and Mongolian Choi Tseveenpurev," added Doughty.

"At this moment he is just under nine stone with the match made at around 8-8 or 8-9.

"That's just where he should be as in the past he has taken too much weight off too soon and has to be held back from overtraining."

Ironically the Waite fight will be held at the Harvey Haddon Sports Centre, Nottingham, the venue that both boxers last fought when both were defeated by Booth.

But all in the Lewis camp are keeping thoughts of a Sanjuanelo fight firmly on the back boiler as it will disappear without trace should Lewis fail against the Belfast greengrocer again.

"I'm staying focused on Waite and have put the world title fight to the back of my mind," Lewis told the Bury Times yesterday.

"No doubt about it, this fight against Waite is the biggest and most important of my career and I know exactly what I have to do. My training has been going well and I'm very confident I can turn the tables on him.

"Last time we fought I was winning on points before the cut and if the rules had been the same as world title fights I would have kept my belts.

"This is the kind of contest you are in the sport for and if you can't get motivated for these fights you may as well pack in. I can't wait for September 15!"