Dynamo Dean Laing is back home after signing for Phil Jeffries.
The Tynesider, previously based in Manchester, was a winner in Dunston last November on Steve Wraith’s Christmas Cracker, and he will mark his return to the North-East by fighting on the Jeffries/Wraith promotion at Houghton-le-Spring on Saturday, March 16.
Laing will be part of a bumper event at the Rainton Meadows Arena, which will be showcasing the new wave of the region’s boxing pool.
Jaffa told punch-lines he was thrilled to add Laing to a stable which includes boxers such as Joe Laws, Lewis Ritson, Darren Surtees and Terence Wilkinson.
Laing will train out of the state-of-the-art O’Tooles gym in Byker.
The light-heavyweight built up a good 5-1 (1) record while part of the Black Flash gym in Manchester, under coach Pat Barrett, the former British and European champion.
“I’m delighted to have signed Dean,” said Jeffries who is pictured left with O’Tooles owner, Neil Conlon (right).
“He did very well down in Manchester under Pat, but he wanted to come home and I’m thrilled to get him.
“Dean boxed twice up here at the back endow last year and he picked up two good wins.
“He’s a popular lad and he’s always good to watch.
“Dean will be training out of O’Tooles, a brilliant gym which has really taken off under my old pal, Neil Conlon.
“It’s a great base fore him and I’m looking to see him make big progress in 2019.”
Laing has been handed a tricky ‘debut’ for Jaffa, a Northern tussle with Harry Matthews at the Rainton Meadows Arena in March.
Matthews, from near York, is known as the ‘Pocklington Rocket’ and is a get-stuck-in merchant who was involved in a cracking eight-round confrontation with Hartlepool and Horden super-middleweight Greg ‘The Real Deal’ O’Neil in 2017.
The Rainton Meadows Arena event features Luke Cope, the Hill brothers, Joe and Tom, Joe Laws, Reece McAllister, Joe Maphosa, Anth Ornsby, Mark Taylor, Terry Tyers and Terence Wilkinson.
Words: Roy Kelly
