Arthur crowned WBO champion

Alex Arthur has been declared WBO super-featherweight champion after Joan Guzman vacated the belt.

Scot awarded WBO belt after Guzman opts to move up a division

Scotland's Alex Arthur has been crowned WBO super-featherweight champion after Joan Guzman of the Dominican Republic vacated the belt in order to move up to the lightweight division. The duo were scheduled to meet in Arthur's home town of Edinburgh at the start of the month, but the bout was delayed as Guzman's camp left it too late to apply for a visa for their fighter. Arthur was declared 'interim' champion as he waited for the fight to be rearranged, but saw that status upgraded once Guzman opted to test himself in the 135-pound division. Arthur admitted he was delighted to claim the world title and insisted he was confident of beating Guzman, known as 'The Little Tyson' if the two had met inside the ring as planned. " I'm delighted with the decision by the WBO to give me full world champion status, but I felt that I won the title when I beat Koba Gogoladze last July," he explained. " I'm confident that I would have beaten Guzman had the fight been rescheduled but I believe that I am among the elite super-featherweights and want to prove myself as the best out there. "I'm proud to be Edinburgh's first world champion for 30 years, and am looking forward to making the first defence of my title. My reign now begins!" Arthur's promoter Frank Warren added; "Britain has lost a few of its world champions over the last few months, but we have got one back with Alex now declared as world champion. " I believe he will be a long-term world champion. I'm working hard at the moment to deliver a new date and challenger for Alex."