LATEST FIGHT:

 

Bethnal Green Friday 22nd Feb.

"I'm not, I think, finished. But I have to see how I'm going to get another shot. I still feel I could have beaten Darren if the fight had carried on, but he is a good lad and I wish him well in the future.

"I still feel I can make it, but I don't want to stay in the sport if I can't get another shot at a decent title."

Steve was, appearing live on Sky for the first time in about five years, added: "I slipped over in the first round and they had it down as a knock down.

"I admit I probably gave him the first three rounds but I was getting into it, I was becoming stronger in the next few and we always knew that would be the case.

"But the clash of heads was unfortunate. He (Barker) knew it was a clash of heads and the ref knew it was a clash of heads.

"It was an accident but there is nothing you can do about it now.

"The fight was going exactly the way I thought it would go. We knew he would come out fast but then slow down.

"He is a good lad and full credit to him, but we were just warming up and the strength was coming out of him."

Barker, who recorded his 17th successive pro win, said: "I did feel sorry for him (Steve) for the way it had to finish like that.

"No disrespect to Steve, but it was a good fight for me. It was like a game of chess and I like that, working out your opponent's weaknesses. That's why I like boxing.

 

STEVE kept his push for a second crack at the British middleweight title on course with a comfortable six-round 59-54 points victory over Wolverhampton's Conroy McIntosh.

Steve was way too classy for the big punching McIntosh, who had lost his previous 10 fights, at Hutton Moor Leisure Centre.

Steve, after a slow start, could even have been celebrating a 12th stoppage of his career as he dumped McIntosh on his pants eight seconds from the end of the final round.

As it was, McIntosh, who did not look like he would be able to resume, was saved from the 11th knockout defeat of an undistinguished career by the final bell.

Steve, who must now beat Wayne Elcock on December 1 to fix up a British title clash against Howard Eastman or Richard Williams, said: "I have to be happy.

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STEVE Bendall has warned newly crowned WBF international middleweight title-holder Wayne Elcock to "under-estimate" him at his own peril.

The Poole-based southpaw defends his English title against the Brummie at Aston Villa Leisure Centre on Friday, December 1.

That's the day Bendall celebrates his 33rd birthday and he fully expects to win and fix up a British title clash against Howard Eastman or Richard Williams.

The two Londoners duel on November 17 at Bethnal Green for the vacant British crown which the Battersea Bomber, who failed in three world-title bids, relinquished in 2004.

Looking ahead to his contest against Elcock, Bendall said: "Wayne has just struggled a bit to beat Vinnie Baldassara on his home territory and his people still think he is going to knock me out.

"All I can say is Elcock is going to be in for a big shock if he under-estimates me.

"His people are saying they are going to knock me out because of the way my fights went against Scott Dann and Sebastian Sylvester for the British and European titles.

"I didn't box well against Dann and the main reason I lost against Sylvester was because of lack of preparation time after I was mucked about and called up late for the fight.

"This is all about me putting myself back on the map and he isn't going to beat me.

"I'll be 33 on the day of the fight and I plan to give myself the best possible birthday present - victory and a fight against Eastman or Williams.

"I have fought a few times on or around my birthday and have always put on a good performance, and I expect to do so again."

Elcock - a 32-year-old with a won 16 lost two record - might have triumphed in six rounds against Baldassara, but he later needed five stitches in a cut near his eye.

Like Bendall, Elcock lost to Dann for the British title in 2005, albeit on a unanimous decision after going the distance.

Bendall, whose record is won 24 lost two, was knocked out in six a year earlier.

The Poole boxer warms up for his Elcock clash with a bout against an as yet undecided opponent at Weston-super-Mare on Saturday, October 7.

Bendall said: "I had been due to go up against Rob Burton but he lost at the weekend and is out of the equation now.

"It's just getting the right fight to get me moving towards Elcock."

Tickets, priced £20, for that fight are available from Steve on 07855 942151.

Previous fights

Steve chalked up his 15th consecutive victory by coolly despatching Russian Ahmet Dotteuev in the heat of Johannesburg on Saturday night.

Steve won the first successful defence of his WBU Continental middleweight title by stopping his opponent in the fourth round.

More than 7,000 spectators were packed into the Carnival City arena with
former South African head of state Nelson Mandela and actor Will Smith among
them, Although the BBC only televised a brief shot of the fight his followers in Bournemouth, watching in his local, duly celebrated his victory.

Steve Bendall is the WBU Continental middleweight champion, he was born in Coventry England on the 1st December 1973, a Southpaw with a string of professional wins.

"Someone to watch out for in the future" As Phil Chard writes (Bournemouth Echo).

When Steve is not training he can be found in Westbourne, minutes from Bournemouth, where Steve and Malaine (his main love in life) have MALAIN'S a trendy fashion shop stocking both men and ladies lines.

However Steve a former England amateur international now has his foot on the ladder and knows it will be all international fights from now on, and is more often found training.

Steve is earning the reputation as one of Britain?s most promising boxers, he has continued to train hard and is raring to go.

Steve would like to thank all his fans for the constant support.

Don't miss the next fight which is scheduled for April 26 in his home town of Coventry, that should be a night not to miss.

 

BOURNEMOUTH'S Steve Bendall nonchantly chalked up his 15th consecutive
victory by coolly despatching Russian Ahmet Dotteuev in the heat of
Johannesburg on Saturday night.

The 29-year-old Westbourne-based fighter made the first successful defence
of his WBU Continental middleweight title by stopping his opponent in the
fourth round.

More than 7,000 spectators were packed into the Carnival City arena with
former South African head of state Nelson Mandela and actor Will Smith among
them.


TRADING PUNCHES: Steve Bendall (left) with Jason Collins

STEVE overcame a damaged left eye to pound out a unanimous decision over Walsall's thoroughly awkward Jason Collins and take the vacant World Boxing Union Continental middleweight title at Dagenham on Saturday 8th Dec 2001.

Roared on by a large contingent of fans, Steve produced the cleaner work throughout the 12 rounder, and his superiority was reflected in the ringside judges' scores - 116-112 twice, or eight rounds to four, and an even more emphatic 118-110 (10-2). It was Steve's 14th straight win but he was inclined to be critical afterwards as usual.

"I just couldn't get my feet moving," he said. "I made it hard for myself. I should have done better.

"Now I have just got to get back to the gym, and work on the mistakes. I had an off night, but I did enough." ( you certainly did Steve).

Trainer Trevor Francis was less harsh. "He boxed well. It was his first 12 rounder, and he was still strong at the end.

"We'll have to work on moving his feet - I don't know why he didn't get them going. But he was fit and he won well."

A member of the Golden Fists promotional team, who are behind Steve, was even more positive. "Steve, you were absolutely brilliant!" he said.

"The refereeing was terrible. Jason Collins was using his head all the time, and kept getting warned - but the referee never even took a point off. He would have been quite justified in disqualifying him."

This all-southpaw battle did get messy at times, with Jason Collins the major culprit. His game was to take Steve out of his stride, and not let him get set - and to an extent the tactics worked. "He brought me down to his level," Steve said.

Jason Collins bulldozed his way forward, throwing wild punches, apparently not caring where they - or his head - landed. Referee Darryl Ribbink spoke to him several times, and to Steve for holding - but he never succeeded in cleaning the fight up.

Going into the bout, Jason Collins had a record of 10 wins, 12 losses and five draws, but the figures are deceptive. Early this year he gave a good account of himself in a bid for the World Boxing Federation version of the world title, and Steve was never kidding himself this would be easy.

The cut in the corner of his left eye (under the brow), happened near the end of the sixth round, and referee Ribbink took him back to the corner for an inspection. He gave the order to box on, but the eye was looking bad again at the bell, and Steve came out for the seventh with a large amount of grease on it.

Jason Collins promptly made the eye his target, knocked the grease off and the bleeding started again. In the eighth Mr Ribbink took Steve to the corner again and this time called for the ringside doctor.

Thankfully Steve was allowed to continue, and in the next session Jason started to bleed from the left eye. With such a physical fight, injuries were inevitable.

But through it all, Steve stayed calm. He showed in the first round he had the answer to Jason Collins' brawling aggression, keeping calm and catching his man with uppercuts as he came in. It was a good start for Steve, and he built on it in the second, rocking his man with a left hook and raising a lump under Jason Collins' left eye.

It was clear that Steve was the more skilful, but he couldn't stop Jason Collins from coming forward - and Jason's style, though it made for a messy fight, was always dangerous.

The pattern had been set, and although Steve could never relax the only time he ever looked like losing was when the cut got bad. In terms of ability he was in a different league. Jason Collins never gave up, and possibly put up the stronger finish but by then it was too late to make a difference.

The World Boxing Union Continental belt is good start and we all know Steve can go go on to bigger things. And overcoming such an awkward opponent will have been great experience for him.

Lets look forward to progress further in 2002.

Merry Christmas and happy new year from Steve and Malaine.

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