MADS LARSEN vs BRIAN MAGEE

Two veterans who haven’t boxed for more than a year meet for the vacant European super middleweight title in Denmark on Saturday when Mads Larsen takes on Brian Magee in an all-southpaw match.

Larsen, who enjoys home-ground advantage, turns 37 next month and he will be boxing for the first time since December 2008.

Magee, 34, from Belfast in Northern Ireland, also is returning to the ring after 13 months’ inactivity. He has made a major change, switching from longtime trainer Harry Hawkins to work with the Belfast-domiciled Panamanian, Bernardo Checa, which he feels is a rejuvenating move. (As far as I can gather there was a disagreement between Hawkins and Magee’s manager, involving Irish promotional alliances — what we have come to call “boxing politics”.)

Larsen is the slight favourite based on the fight’s location but there really isn’t a great deal to choose between the boxers. Magee is a very experienced fighter. He boxed for Ireland in the 1996 Olympics, when he lost in the quarter finals, and he also competed in the world and European championships. As a professional he has lost only three times in 36 bouts, all against world-class boxers: he was outpointed by Robin Reid, lost on a split decision against Vitali Tsypko in Germany and suffered an 11th-round KO defeat against Carl Froch in a fight that was gruelling and competitive until Magee suddenly got caught.

There is a risk that Larsen might have reached the stage where his best years are behind him. I tend to view Larsen as one of those boxers who should have been a world champion but never got the breaks. He lost a very tight decision against Sven Ottke in Germany in a world title challenge in 2003. I had the impression that Larsen won but made the note that “this isn’t the easiest fight to score” — the Danish boxer was busier but Ottke made him miss a lot. (Larsen angrily told the Danish press that he didn’t think Ottke landed four solid shots in 12 rounds.)

It is surprising that this was Larsen’s only crack at a world title, especially as he has latterly been promoted by powerful Sauerland Event in Germany. The German company was outbid for Saturday's fight when Denmark’s Hans Henrik Palm put in a larger purse offer. Maybe Larsen was considered one of those “who needs him?” fighters: a smart, skilled technician who is also a southpaw.

Time is of the essence for Larsen. He has had long spells of inactivity, which concerns me. Larsen dropped out of boxing for more than three years at one point in his career (shoulder injury, promotional dispute). If Larsen can beat Magee it will give his career a big boost and, as European champion, he can probably be moved towards a long-delayed second opportunity to be a world champion.

Magee is a steady, capable fighter — he isn’t particularly fast or flashy but he is earnest and accurate. The 1950s boxing writers would likely have described him as “industrious”.

Larsen, to me, has the look of the higher class of fighter. The Dane is a cool, calculating, smooth-moving technician who has a way of controlling the tempo of his fights. Larsen isn’t a big hitter (just one stoppage win in his last eight bouts) but he adroitly scores points without taking too many punches himself.

This fight is a big event for Denmark, with national TV coverage. It will be Larsen’s first fight in Denmark in almost seven years and he is boxing in the city of his birth. The fight is being billed as a homecoming for Larsen, and although Magee is capable enough to spoil the party I have to go with the Danish boxer. I expect an entertaining, well-contested 12-rounder but I think that Larsen will be able to pull away from Magee with what I consider an advantage in virtuosity. I’ll take Larsen by decision.