BOXING : Bowe holds no fears for Hide

Herbie Hide landed the first blow in the hype war yesterday as he set off for Las Vegas and his World Boxing Organisation heavyweight title defence against Riddick Bowe on 11 March.

"I'm not a pussycat. I'll beat the living daylights out of him," the 23-year-old fighter from Norwich said. "When I watched him on tape I thought there was nothing to get excited about.

"It seems as if people think it's going to be easy for Bowe. That makes me angry, and I shall go into the ring trying to knock him out. I'm much faster than Bowe. This fight is all about control, knowing what I've got to beat him. I know what Bowe can do.

"I saw Bowe's recent fight with Larry Donald and it looked as if Donald hurt him on one occasion - and Donald couldn't break an egg with a baseball bat," Hide added.