Boxing: Pithie sees route into the big time

Dean Pithie has been close to the top of the British super-featherweight division for five years, but he has never has the luck in important fights.

Tomorrow night at York Hall, Bethnal Green, Pithie defends his Commonwealth version of the title against Glasgow's Craig Docherty knowing that an impressive win could lead to a fight against the two high-profile names who dominate the division. The World Boxing Union champion at the weight is Kevin Lear and the British champion is Edinburgh's Alex Arthur, and both would be ideal for Pithie at a future date. A fight against either Lear or Arthur would also pay Pithie far more than any other casual pairing in the division.

"I just have to keep on trying to get into the spotlight,'' said Pithie, whose performances in his home town of Coventry inevitably leads to packed halls and extremely lively evenings.

Docherty has recently been fighting at lightweight having lost a British title challenge to Manchester's Michael Gomez back in 2001. But he believes a new diet will help him at super-featherweight.In tomorrow night's encounter it is unlikely that either boxer will be more than 12 or so inches away from the other at any point in an entertaining and difficult-to-pick fight, though Pithie has the slight edge in many ways.