NICK Boyd will be aiming to put two years of disappointment behind him when he fights on the Steve Collins-Nigel Benn world championship bill at the Nynex Arena, Manchester in July, writes Gordon Sharrock.

The Bolton boxer has been out of the ring for almost two years, frustrated by illness and a string of late withdrawals by prospective opponents.

He has not fought since coming under the umbrella of top promoter Frank Warren but he is currently in training for July 6 when he will move up from lightweight to light welterweight. Warren has still to find an opponent but Boyd is confident that this time he will not be let down.

"I've had a number of fights lined up but opponents have pulled out at the last minute for one reason or another," he explained. "They don't seem to want to fight me.

"I'm 10st 10lbs at the moment but I'll have no problems getting down to 10st 2lbs for the fight. I haven't been fighting but I've kept myself in good condition."

Tickets for the Nynex event, when Benn challenges Collins for the WBO super middleweight title, are priced at £20 to £150 and details are available by phone from (01204) 575406.

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