Conrad Cummings steps in to face Brian Rose for the WBO European middleweight belt after Luke Keeler vacates
Conrad Cummings and Brian Rose will contest the WBO European middleweight crown after a back injury forced champion Luke Keeler to temporarily vacate.
Rose, who returned with victory on the MTK Global show in Manchester on Friday night, had been scheduled to face Keeler in London but will now head to Belfast to take on Cummings on December 7 – live on IFL TV.
With Keeler lying in wait for the winner as he works back to full fitness, Cummings is hopeful of securing a chance at gaining revenge over the Dublin man for a points defeat earlier this year by beating the experienced Rose.
Cummings (15-2-1-KO7) said: “I’m absolutely thrilled. This is a chance at redemption and to show what I’m really about. Fair play to Rose – he’s fought at world level and he’s a big name but this is a fight I’m going to win.
“I think I’ve got a lot advantages. I’m a big, strong middleweight at 27 and I’m hungry. I’ve a big chance here and Rose is not going to stop me. This is my home territory.
“It’s going to be buzzing in there on the night. My support will be right behind me because this is a big fight. It’s a real roll of the dice and roll on December 7. Guess who’s back?!”
Former world title challenger Rose – unsurprisingly – has other ideas.
Rose (29-5-1-KO8) said: “I watched Keeler against Conrad and it was a great fight for the fans so hopefully we can bring more of the same.
“I expect to be favourite given what I’ve achieved but I’ve been out nearly two years so people questioning what I’ve got left is inevitable. What they don’t know is that I feel reinvented and back to where I was five or six years ago.
“He might have youth and activity on his side but I’ve got experience. I’ve been in so many big fights and I can do 12 rounds standing on my head. Can he?”
BUY TICKETS FOR BELFAST SHOW: mtkglobalstore.com/tickets