Boxing: 'Tyson' sends Eastman down pecking order

A parrot called 'Tyson' took a large chunk of flesh out of the British and Commonwealth middleweight champion Howard Eastman's hand yesterday.

The bird, which is one of five kept by Eastman at his flat in Deptford, south London, took exception to being taken to a press conference in central London to publicise his owner's fight against the Frenchman Christophe Tendil for the vacant European middleweight title at the Nottingham Arena next Tuesday.

Tyson pecked Eastman on the right hand and delayed his appearance at the conference by 40 minutes. Luckily, the injury has not put the fight in doubt. "It's a stubborn bird. It only does what it wants to do. It's like me," Eastman said.

The boxer, who at one time had nearly 80 exotic birds at his flat, was able to bribe Tyson with a few titbits into putting in an appearance a few hours later at a gym in Clapton.

"Birds have always fascinated me and when I had so many I would just sit and watch them for hours and hours," Eastman said. "I grew up in Guyana and there are so many beautiful and precious birds there in the wild and I guess that is why I once had so many."

Clinton Woods tonight returns to a British ring for the first time since losing to Roy Jones in a world light-heavyweight unification fight in Portland, Oregon, last September. Woods is the official main attraction at the Ponds Forge International Centre in Sheffield but the real star of the show is the young prospect David Haye, who is having only his second professional fight against Saber Zairi.

Having impressed mightily on his debut against the Hull veteran Tony Booth last month, Haye, currently campaigning at cruiserweight, should have even fewer problems against the novice Frenchman.

Ricky Hatton will fight former champion and notable veteran Vince Phillips in defence of his World Boxing Union light-welterweight title at the MEN Arena in Manchester on 5 April.