Bogere's injury will not stop Civic bout

Sweden's Olympic boxer Patrick Bogere will make his Black Country debut as planned next month despite suffering a dislocated left shoulder.

The 28-year-old was left counting the cost of his first fight on English soil at Coventry's Skydome last Friday night, ending up in a local hospital with his five-fight unbeaten record gone after losing by a point to West Bromwich's former British welterweight champion Young Mutley.

That took nothing away from a toe-to-toe fight over eight rounds, with both nursing cuts that required stitches to the left eyebrow at the final bell after a blood stained battle.

Bogere was well enough to catch his flight home to Gothenburg the following day but will not recover in time for his next planned fight, a meeting with Leicester's Lester Walsh, although organisers for the show at Wolverhampton Civic Hall on June 6 insists the Ugandan-born Swede will appear as planned.

They hope to confirm a six-round all-international bout between Bogere and Ghana's Philip Kotey next week, with both fighters looking to be steered toward a shot at new Commonwealth champion Denton Vassell.

Kotey should have already faced John O'Donnell for the belt but will not find it much easier against the former amateur star, who represented his adopted country at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and holds a win on the unpaid circuit over European champion Paul McCloskey.

The two will now face off in the Black Country and promoter Paul 'PJ' Rowson, who is bringing Bogere over for the fight, insists there is no danger of his man not making it.

He said: "All we are waiting for is confirmation of his opponent and I am told Patrick will start training next week. When I first heard of the injury I thought he had no chance of making our show, but I am told that it's an old injury and he knows the time-frame to get it right.

"It's a wonderful international fight for us to have on the show, one that would grace the undercard of any show in the world."

For tickets, call the box office on 0870 320 7000 or 07976 283 157.

The 10-fight show will also be broadcast online live on pay-per view at a cost of just £2.99, through Hatton TV at www.brandhatton.com.