Salam back to face Horton
21 January 2009

TONY Salam returns to action at York Hall, Bethnal Green when he faces local rival Richard Horton on January 30, just two days short of an unhappy anniversary, as it will be a year since his light-heavyweight ambitions were crushed at the same venue.

Salam is back with a new trainer, working with Babatunde Ajayi at the Peacock gym in Canning Town and new ambitions, as he hopes to launch a new bid for glory in a lighter weight division.

He faces his first bid for super middleweight honours, when he faces Horton for the Southern Area title.

The Chadwell Heath-based power-puncher's light heavyweight ambitions were crushed by Courtney Fry, when he was blasted to a sixth round defeat on February 1 last year - the last time he fought.

That was his first setback after seven impressive wins - and his Romford rival Horton has also suffered a single setback in seven pro outings.

That defeat came when Welsh rival Shon Davies shocked him with a first round assault in 2006 at the Goresbrook Leisure Centre in Dagenham.

The rivals realise how important it will be to their future ambitions to come through a winner when they clash on the Sports Network bill headed by the Kell Brook versus Stuart Elwell British welterweight title fight.

Also booked for action on the York Hall bill, heavyweight Derek Chisora super featherweights Vinne Mitchell and the Walsh brothers Liam and Ryan.