Expect it to be explosive and expect it to be loud.
Punch-lines is talking about Joe Laws and his deafening army of fans, aptly known as ‘The Bomb Squad’.
Laws will be making his eagerly-anticipated professional debut at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.
The 23-year-old has ‘turned over’ with Summer Rumble 8’s promoter, Phil Jeffries, following a successful amateur career with Birtley ABC, where he has grown as a force under coach, Graeme Rutherford, who will be in his corner at Sunderland AFC’s ground this weekend.
Your writer saw Laws once last season in the Senior Elite Championships in Seaton Carew , or ABA Championship in ‘old money’ where he fought out the bout of the night against Redcar’s Bobby Dalton. He certainly leaves nothing outside the ring, so was that a typical Joe Laws display?
“Yes, I’d say that was typical Joe Laws,” laughed the crowd favourite from Newcastle who will have Rutherford guiding his career.
“I do try to box more but I just love to fight and sometimes when the bell goes the fighter comes out!
“I’ve been trained by Graeme since I was 15 and he’s turned an average kid into a decent fighter and hopefully now I can go on to become a British champion as a professional.”
Having watched Laws go about his work in that Senior elite Tyne, Tees & Wear quarter-final at the Mayfair JD Sports Domes then the journey up towards that British dream will certainly be an exciting one.
It will be noisy too, Laws will have over 300 supporters at the Stadium of Light.
“I went to watch Martin Ward at the Summer Rumble two years ago and it was mint,” said the 23-year-old.
“It’s mid-summer, it’s outside, it’s a great place to box and I can’t wait for my lot to get in.
“It’s loud but it’s good!”
Fellow Newcastle boxer, Terry Wilkinson, will also be making his debut after also putting pen to paper with Jaffa.
Another Geordie talent, Lawrence Osueke, who this week signed for co-promoter Steve Wraith, brings his talents to the Stadium of Light.
Darren Surtees tops the show, while his fellow Dave Binns-trained comrades Joe and Tom Hill make their first appearance at a Rumble.
Through in ‘Turbo’ Terry Tyers, from Imran Naeem’s Stockton gym, and you have an exciting seven-strong line-up.
Words: Roy Kelly
