Shannan Itching To Blast Off In Title Stoush Against Seran

Illawarra Mercury

Wednesday June 4, 2008

By MIKE GANDON

SHANNAN Taylor is putting the finishing touches to his preparation for the Pan Asian Boxing Association middleweight title fight against Andreas Seran at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on Friday night.

The "Bulli Blaster" is totally focused on winning this contest as victory would earn him a shot at WBA world titleholder Felix Sturm of Germany.

Taylor's fight against Seran is the main event on Fox Sports and over the past couple of weeks some of his bouts from the mid-1990s at the Snakepit have been screened on Friday night boxing programs.

Whilst those contests were more than 10 years ago, Taylor, 36, said he is feeling as sharp and fit as he was in his heyday but with a more mature attitude.

Taylor has spent many hours sparring against Joel Bourke and Adrian Campbell at Rock Solid Gym, Unanderra, and with Lake Illawarra PCYC trainer Bobby Mastro's boxer Will Wilson.

He's also had quality sparring in Queensland with Israel Kani, who won the Australian super middleweight title last month, as well as Robert Toomey.

Taylor has worked hard with his boxing trainers Frank John Gatt and Brad Gallagher and fitness trainer Dale Fritz.

Gallagher is impressed with Taylor's preparation for this contest against Seran, who is originally from Indonesia but now trains with Craig Christian in Perth.

Seran has gone the distance with talented southpaw Jamie Pittman, inflicting a knockdown in a points loss.

Pittman went on to challenge for Sturm's world title.

"This is a dangerous fight for Shannan," Gallagher said.

"He's done the roadwork and is very sharp in the ring.

"We'll have done close to 200 rounds of sparring going into this fight.

"Shannan has really put the effort in and he's not worried about his fitness."

Gallagher said Taylor has not been this fit since his classic contests against former world champions Lonnie Beasley and Jake "The Snake" Rodriguez.