BOXING: David Starie is to fight on the Mike Tyson-Lennox Lewis world heavyweight title bill in Memphis on June 8. And the Suffolk star's scheduled WBU world title clash with Australia's Rick Thornberry remains on.

By Dave Allard

DAVID Starie is to fight on the Mike Tyson-Lennox Lewis world heavyweight title bill in Memphis on June 8.

And the Suffolk star's scheduled WBU world title clash with Australia's Rick Thornberry remains on.

Starie's meeting with Thornberry was scheduled for June 8 at the Norwich Sports village but will now be staged somewhere in Britain in the autumn.

Gordon Holmes, the manager of Starie, the 27-year-old British and Commonwealth champion, said: "This is exciting news for David and we are both looking forward to going to America for the first time.

"His fight will be beamed live around the world on Sky Sports but as yet an opponent has not been sorted."

New York boxing sources today revealed that Starie will probably face a seasoned opponent from the US super-middleweight division.

Starie, the former amateur from the Hurstlea-Kerridge club of Needham Market, is becoming a bit of a globe-trotter these days.

His last fight was in South Africa's Carnival City. Holmes added: "There is no doubt that David will become a world champion before too long. If he can land the WBU crown then we'll go looking for Joe Calzaghe again."

Two years ago Starie went 12 rounds with unbeaten Welshman Calzaghe in an unsuccessful bid to win the WBO world prize.

Calzaghe successfully defended his crown again against former IBF world champion Charles Brewer of America in Cardiff last Saturday.