North-East boxing’s first fight night of the 2018-19 season is looking in great shape.
That was the message from Steve Wraith who co-promotes the Saturday, September 8 action at Dunston.
The show lost its headline bout North-East between Gateshead’s Tom Whitfield and Ellis Corrie, from Darlington, when luckless Tom was struck down with tonsillitis.
But Wraith and Phil Jeffries still have two derbies up their sleeve on this eight-fight card, including a tasty Tyneside affair between Kris Pilkington and Jay Hughes (pictured above).
Unbeaten Pilkington (2-0-1) boxes successfully out of the Jobes gym in Newcastle while Hughes, who began his career with Dave Binns in Peterlee, is now with MTK in their new Gateshead operation. Jay, from Crimdon, just outside Hartlepool, has won all five of his pro contests.
“It’s a great fight,” Wraith told punch-lines. “The beauty of having local derbies is that if we lost the top of the bill then we had another one to take its place.
“I’m sorry for Tom, the kid does not have much luck, being struck down with tonsillitis.
“It’s disappointing for Ellis as well whose opponent ran out of the door last time minutes before the fight.
“From our perspective it’s nice to have a top of the bill still.
“When you do these shows you often lose a fight or two.
“We started with 10 and we are down to eight and I still think that’s value for money.
“Seeing Jay and Krissy have a head to head I could see they are both in great shape.
“This is going to be a good fight.
“It’s great having local lads willing to put their records and pride on the line.”
Chad Ellis, Joe Hill, Dean Laing, Lawrence Osueke, Darren Reay and Kyle Redfearn are all in action making the event highly attractive.
And there is a second derby to look forward to at the Lancastrian Suite as Zaki Shirzad makes his debut against Adam Hutchinson in a Newcastle v Darlington battle.
Zaki, from the Jobs Gym, tackles the southpaw who has fought three times in the paid ranks.
“I met Zaki for the first time recently and I went down to see Adam a couple of weeks ago at the DBMA gym and both lads look in top shape,” added Wraith. “That’s going to be a cracking fight and I suspect it could steal the show.”
