Bruce v Singh: I can see a Hagler-Hearns affair, says champion

Sean Bruce…first defence of super-fly belt in home city. Pic: Anup Bhatt

FOR Coventry’s Callum Singh, the apprenticeship ends on Saturday – and the title chase begins against a fighter he knows very well.

On Saturday, Coventry’s former fine amateur steps into the other man’s backyard in an attempt to take the Midlands super-flyweight title from champ Sean Bruce.

The pair have sparred many rounds together. At Leicester Arena, they scrap for real in a quality, evenly balanced 10 rounder. It’s an over-used adage, but someone’s 0 has got to go.

Southpaw Bruce, aged 28, has won six on the spin – and is making the first defence of a belt he won by widely outpointing Frazer Morgan in March.

Singh, 22, is also unbeaten in six. Neither have registered a stoppage. Callum has yet to lose a competitive round, but has never gone beyond four rounds.

Sean has dropped just one session, but travelled the championship distance.

Leicester’s Bruce, trained by former EBU champ Rendall Munroe, is an aggressive pressure fighter. Singh possesses silky skills and whiplash reflexes.

The contest is very well balanced.

In an era of stare downs and insults, the pair have displayed respect and sportsmanship throughout the build-up. There is no bad blood.

Bruce, an articulate, likeable individual who holds down a day job in recruitment, said: “We get on, it’s just one of those things. We are both trying to make a name for ourselves and achieve something. On the night, the best man will win.

“Callum is only young and can come again. I’m sure he’ll be a Midlands champion, it just won’t be on Saturday night.

“We’ve sparred a lot since we turned pro. I’m sure we sparred the first time when we were both getting ready for our debuts. He has a similar style to Frazer Morgan, so we got a lot of rounds in before that one.

“He’s a good lad, a good boxer, very skilful, but I definitely have his number.”

Bruce, who began boxing at just 10, has had a winding journey to the pro ranks. A product of Earl Shilton ABC, he had 46 amateur contests, won Midlands titles and faced very good fighters including Liam Davies and Kieran Conway.

He then felt out of love with the game and was absent for a number of years – “I went down a different path, one I’m not particularly proud of,” he said.

Bruce re-surfaced on the unlicenced circuit, re-discovered his desire while training and fighting in Thailand, returned home and impressed Munroe.

The rest, as they say, is fairly recent history.

“I have a very good boxing IQ,” Bruce said. “Little bits have been added and tweaks made for the pro game.

“I’ve also been one of those people who don’t look past their next fight. When I turned pro I thought, if I win an English title that would be a dream come true. If I did win one, the goals would be different, I’d look to the next level.

“I feel really strong at super-fly. With my come-forward style, if I did go down to flyweight would I lose that a little bit?”

Bruce cannot wait for Saturday night – and predicts a war.

“I’m just excited,” he added. “I think it will be a very good fight to watch – a bit of a Hagler-Hearns affair.”