Kevin McCauley vows to keep title

Stourbridge welterweight Kevin McCauley has insisted challenger Sean McKervey doesn't have the power to rip the Midlands title from him.

Champion McCauley defends the belt for the first time since dethroning Dave Ryan in October and will again step into his opponent's hometown, this time at Coventry's Hilton Hotel.

It's a rematch tonight after the two clashed in a see-saw battle at Wolverhampton Civic Hall in October, which ended in a draw.

But McCauley saw nothing that day to make him afraid of stepping into the ring again with the British Masters champion, who has given up his crown for a shot at the area title.

McKervey has won seven out of 11 fights but has never been past six rounds and has just the one stoppage record on his record, over West Bromwich's Wayne Downing in June.

His hell for leather style ensures his volume of punches is normally higher than his opponent, but McCauley is adamant he won't crumble under the pressure tonight.

He said: "Look at his record, he's never been 10 rounds and he's never been in with anyone decent, apart from me!

"He didn't put a scratch on me last time, I have been in there with him and I know he can't knock me out."

McCauley will have to overcome a hostile crowd as well as the challenger tonight, but did so to take the title from Ryan after going the full 10 rounds in Derby.

McKervey is a big ticket seller who takes a vocal following wherever he goes to fight, with a hometown bout likely to crank up the pressure.

It's a big risk for the champion, aged 31, to put up the title on the road but McCauley points to the first meeting as proof that his crowd can't help him between the ropes.

He said: "I am the champion so really he should be coming here to fight me, but I am going over there on his home turf confident it won't be a problem.

"When I fought him last time, he had his crowd there and I didn't, I only had a couple of people cheering me on at that show, but he still couldn't beat me.

"He was very confident of his abilities that day and he couldn't get the job done, what makes him think he's going to do it this time?"