Boxing: McCullough nervous on return to British ring

Wayne McCullough is prepared for the nerves which he believes will put him to the test in the hours before he returns to a British ring tonight against South Africa's Johannes Maisa at York Hall, Bethnal Green.

The 32-year-old McCullough was banned from boxing in Britain over two years ago because of a complication which was revealed during a routine brain scan and he thinks that tonight's fight, which is the first of three planned bouts that should see him challenge for a new world title, will be like the nights 20 years ago when he first started to box as an amateur in his native Belfast.

"When I was a kid at the start of my career I can remember the nerves on the day of a fight when I was at school and I think this will be the same,'' said McCullough, who was the picture of calm seven years ago when he travelled to Japan to win the World Boxing Council bantamweight title.

Providing McCullough can overcome Maisa, who is not big enough to beat the Irishman, there is another fight planned for October and then, it is hoped, a challenge for the World Boxing Organisation featherweight title against Argentina's Juan Pablo Shacon. However, Shacon has to first beat Glasgow's Scott Harrison on 19 October.

The nominal main event and the reason why the old venue will be packed to capacity is the first defence by the local idol, Kevin Lear, of his World Boxing Union super-featherweight title against the faded but nevertheless dangerous Bulgarian, Kirkor Kirkorov.

Lear is just 25 and tonight's fight will be the 14th of his career, but he has so far fought with the type of maturity that suggests that with careful match-making he could blossom into a genuine world champion during the next two years.

"This is the type of homecoming that all boxers dream of and I know that there will be a tremendous sense of excitement when I get in the ring tonight,'' Lear said.