John Green stepped away from the ring with a title three and a half years ago – now his trainer hopes to get him back there and beyond.
The 29-year-old Middlesbrough boxer will be looking to take another step forward in that direction this Saturday in Darlington.
Green is the main man on ‘D Day in Darlo’ as promoter Steve Wraith hosts a four-bout event at the Dolphin Centre.
The lightweight won the Northern Area championship in the summer of 2015, with a superb display against Peter Cope, avenging a 10-round points loss for the belt the previous year.
It looked like a springboard to bigger and better things but, instead, the Green machine went into storage.
But he returned last year, in great fashion to boot, with a third-round stoppage of Alec Bazza in Dunston, his fifth win in eight outings.
Pete Shepperson, who trains Green in Darlington, along with fellow cast members Ellis Corrie and Daryll Hall, is eying up 10-round battles for John this year.
“We will have maybe two more comeback fights and then we want to push on and get up the rankings towards domestic titles by the end of the year,” the coach told punch-lines.
“We can do the area title again if needs be, but I’d like to get him in a position for an English title back end of the year.”
Green has been matched with Stockport’s ‘Devil Child’ Jamie Quinn at D Day in Darlo.
Stockport also provides the opposition for Corrie on the show, in the shape of Dale Arrowsmith who, in contrast to Quinn, has the moniker ‘Choir Boy’. Punch-lines dreads to think where these nicknames come from!
Another beauty in the alias department is ‘The Beast from the East’, otherwise known as Taha Mirhosseini.
He is the foe in the red corner for football star/ boxer Hall.
On paper, the clash of the 30-something cruisers could be the fight of the night – Hall has won his only pro appearance by KO while just one of the hit-or-be-hit Manchester-based Iranian’s seven bouts have reached the last bell.
Dave Binns-trained Ste Cooper, making his second appearance in his home town, takes on Newark’s Zach Thompson, who launched his pro career only last July so, hopefully, he will come up the A1 with some ambition.
For tickets, contact one of the fighters or go to www.proboxingnewcastlegateshead.com
Words: Roy Kelly
