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Too little time for Facey as he says 'no' to tilt at British Title
VETERAN boxer Andrew Facey has declined a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to box for a British title.
The Coal Aston fighter was pencilled in to fight Matthew Macklin for the middleweight title in Manchester on July 18.
But Facey, who still harbours a dream to win the Lonsdale belt, felt that just three weeks' notice for the bout was not sufficient.
"I had just come back from holiday and there simply wasn't enough preparation time," he said. "Yes it was a great opportunity but I was obviously a late substitute for somebody else.
"I wouldn't want to have fooled the public - I'm sure it would have been promoted as a chance for Macklin to get revenge (Facey beat him in 2003) but I just wouldn't have been ready.
"Macklin would have had 12 weeks' preparation but, as always, I'm in the dark and nobody ever seems to know when my next fight is."
The Ingle boxer has been English light-middleweight champion for five and a half years but would have stepped up a weight division for the Macklin contest.
Facey, though, is not ruling out another shot at the title, despite the fact he is 37.
"Age is just a number. I am as fit as anybody at our gym, I rarely get hit and I have always boxed top-class kids rather than easy pickings. I'll be ready for the next opportunity," he said.
Facey wants to defend his English title again later this year.
But he is also hoping to promote and stage his own show for the first time.
"I want to achieve something for myself," he said. "I have always relied on others to get me bouts and often nothing has been pulled out of the hat for me. I'd like to go for an International, WBU or WBF title on my own show."
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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