LEEDS cruiserweight Denzil Browne has turned up the heat on Jamie Warters by claiming he wants to 'punish' the Jorvik Warrior.

Browne, a former member of Henry Wharton's Hard N' Fast stable, and York-based Warters are on collision course for the Central Area cruiserweight title.

And Browne has launched a verbal assault on the would-be challenger to his crown as he steps up the pressure to see the pair clash in the ring.

Browne, who is now part of the Dennis Hobson camp, has revealed he will forgo all other potential bouts to take on Warters in York, but he believes his bitter rival is running scared.

Browne said: "I will punish him, I really will. I have asked my team and Dennis Hobson to get it on, but they don't think he is interested.

"I just want to get this bout on. If he wants, we can have it as a winner-takes-all. I'll put up my purse, my house and my car - it is a top of the range car as well - but that's if he wants it.

"We did spar when he was 17, but I used to spank him like a kid and that is all is now... a kid and he has the cheek to call himself the Warrior when I'm the real, bad warrior.

"My team are looking at me fighting Paul Bonson or Phil Day, but I will pass them all to take him on and I really want to beat him in his home town."

Browne, who has been inactive for the past two years, is so keen to see this bout happen, he is going to pester Hobson despite the fact the Sheffield promoter is currently on holiday in Italy.

"No-one winds me up in boxing, it is just two guys fighting it out, but this is one person who I want," said Browne. "I have just off the phone to my team (Hobson). They are in Italy at the moment, but I'm going to ring them back up and make sure they get this fight on, if not in July then September.

"He can't live with me. He says he wants to fight, but I don't think they want and that would be the only reason for this fight not to happen."

Updated: 10:53 Saturday, June 14, 2003