THE SIDELINES : Collins Knocks Out Chirino--but Don’t Call Him a Puncher

Steve Collins of Ireland doesn’t want to get a reputation as a puncher because of his knockout victory over Furmin Chirino in a WBO middleweight match.

“I’m punching harder, and tonight I proved I can punch when I have to,” Collins said after Thursday’s KO. “But I’m not going to be labeled a puncher. I’m still a boxer.”

Collins knocked out Chirino, who is from Venezuela, in the sixth round of the fight after pummeling him early on.

With the victory, Collins lifted his record to 17-1 (with seven KOs) and earned the right to fight the winner of this Saturday’s Iran Barkley-Nigel Benn match for the WBO middleweight title.