ALEX ARTHUR and his chief cornerman Wayne McCullough are heading for a secret Edinburgh location to prepare for next month's world title showdown with Essex's Nicky Cook at the Manchester Evening News Arena.
McCullough intends to keep the Capital-based WBO super-featherweight champion out of the spotlight ahead of the clash on September 6.
Speaking yesterday as he put Arthur through his sparring paces with Gilmerton featherweight Jason Hastie and Gi
lmerton's Scottish 10-stone amateur champion John Thain, McCullough said: "Today was our final day of prep at Meadowbank as later this week I'm taking Alex to a secret gym location in Edinburgh away from the media or third parties who might relay our ring game plan to Nicky Cook's camp.
"We're going to work hard on the moves that will beat Cook at Manchester.
"Cook was beaten in his last world title challenge by American Steve Louviano with body shots and he knows that Arthur is a devastating body puncher so his camp will be working on how to nullify those. But we are working out a counter strategy, which is top secret, to negate their plans."
McCullough is impressed with the shape Arthur is currently in. He said: "Just look how comfortably trim Alex is weight-wise. He has none of the weight problems that undermined his performance against Steve Foster last December.
"He has also been punching ferociously hard on the pads with me and impressed with his smart boxing against his sparring partners."
One of those sparring partners, Hastie, said: "I sparred with Alex Arthur last December while preparing him for the Steve Foster fight but he is 100 per cent sharper now than he was before the Foster fight. I've never known Arthur to hit so hard as he has been doing recently."Arthur himself is delighted with the way things are shaping up. He said: "We are going to polish up our secret ring strategy to beat Cook, having studied his every ring move on video.
"My weight is spot on and the tough sparring with Jason Hastie, Ricky Burns and John Thain has made me look forward to getting it on with Cook.
"I've also just had a major psychological boost with my wife Debbie and my three kids returning after going to Tenerife for two weeks to let me focus totally on the fight.
"Wayne has been there and done it so he is great at analysing an opponent's ring weaknesses.
"My Dad has sold his full quota of ringside seats for the fight and I don't intend to disappoint my travelling fans or myself by losing."
The full article contains 443 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
