Boxing: Passport fiasco KO's Takaloo's Dublin trip

Jim Rock turned up for a press conference in Dublin yesterday to promote his forthcoming fight against the former World Boxing Union light-middleweight champion Takaloo, only to find that his opponent had failed to show up.

After some confusion it emerged that Takaloo had been prevented from boarding his flight from London because he did not have the right identification with him at the airport.

The Iranian-born Margate fighter has been living in England for more than 20 years but still has not received a British Passport. The Home Office are currently considering his application and vital identification elements are with Government officials.

Takaloo said: "It's ridiculous – I have lived all this time in Britain and I haven't got a British passport. What do I have to do?"

Irishman Rock and Takaloo meet for the vacant WBU light-middleweight title on 1 February at Belfast's Odyssey Arena when the British welterweight champion, Neil Sinclair, also defends his title against Welshman Bradley Pryce.

When it was established that Takaloo could not fly, a telephone link-up was established with Rock and both men unloaded their verbal assaults.

Rock said: "You never had any intention of turning up. You're a coward but you'll have to face me on the night and I'll be walking out with the title."

Takaloo's response was just as adamant as he said: "I'm going over to smash up Jim Rock. This title belongs to me and I see this as a stepping- stone to bigger things. Rock's not in my class."

The British and Commonwealth middleweight champion Howard Eastman will now face former French title-holder Christophe Tendil for the vacant European crown at the Nottingham Arena on 28 January.

The "Battersea Bomber", who lost a controversial points decision to William Joppy for the World Boxing Association title in 2001, was originally to have boxed Tendil's compatriot, Erland Betare. Betare, however, withdrew under mysterious circumstances last week and Tendil has now filled the void.

In a professional career that spans back to 1996, the 34-year-old has been stopped only once.