Title fight for Salam's comeback

8 January 2009

By Ken Sellek

STOKE Newington's Tony Salam is making his comeback to the ring after 11 months absence, with a crack at a Southern Area title.

Salam will challenge Richard Horton of Romford for the vacant British super-middleweight title on the Sports Network promotion at the York Hall, Bethnal Green, on Friday, January 30.

The match-up between Salam and Horton will be the main supporting contest to the top of the bill British welterweight title bout between the holder Kell Brook from Sheffield and Stuart Elwell, from Darlaston, West Midlands.

Salam, a former ABA champion in 2004 when he won the light-heavyweight crown under his birth name of Mohammed Abdusalem, representing the St Pancras Kronk BC.

He began his professional career in glittering form and up to February 2008 was unbeaten in his first seven pro contests until he met Courtney Fry, another top amateur, who had represented Great Britain at an Olympic Games and was also a former ABA champion.

Haringey's Fry had seen his professional career go off the boil after a promising start, but he revived it 11 months ago with his stoppage of Salam - that was a major setback to the Hackney boxer's hopes.

Now Salam is back and is under a new trainer. Babatunde Ajayi, who trains his boxers at the Peacock Gym, Canning Town.

Ajayi told the Gazette: "Tony has lost some weight since he began training with me. In future he will box as a super-middleweight. That is his natural weight.''

Also on the supporting cast to the Sports Network show, will be Dagenham's Vinnie Mitchell, younger brother of British and Commonwealth super-featherweight champion Kevin Mitchell and unbeaten heavyweight prospect Derek Chisora, from Finchley