Boxing: Sullivan expecting fierce tussle

By PETER JESSUP

Sean Sullivan maintains there will be plenty of animosity on show when he takes on David O'Neill at the Auckland Boxing Association match tonight.

The pair have been trading real blows in sparring.

Sullivan is lined up to fight Sam Solomon in Australia next month. Solomon lost on points to Anthony Mundine.

Then Sullivan will be chief sparring partner for Australian super-middleweight champion Ricky Thornbury as he prepares to fight Mundine in August.

O'Neill and Sullivan were sparring partners before Sullivan left for Germany for Thornberry's world title shot.

"We both let a few fly. There'll be no love lost," Sullivan predicted of the fight tonight.

The 33-year-old is taking his career fight-by-fight, saying: "I'll give up when I put in a bad one."

He has national pro titles at light-middle, welterweight, middle and super-middle to prove his worth.

He was willing to put his New Zealand middleweight title on the line, but O'Neill, 26, from Vanuatu, did not want to go the 12 rounds required and the contest will now be decided over eight.

Former Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty amateur champion Jeff Stutt meets Moroni Schwalger over four rounds at super-middle.

Tongan Supi Moimoi fights former amateur lightweight champion Colin Hunia, and Willie O'Neill faces Lance Cresswell at heavyweight.