Luke Cope will face a familiar figure when he chases a hat-trick of professional wins.
The fourth brother of the popular Hartlepool boxing family to join the paid ranks, Luke fights at the New Kidz on the Block show in Houghton on Saturday, March 15.
There the 21-year-old will be faced by Lee Connelly, who gave elder sibling, Peter Cope, an argument at the 2017 Summer Rumble.
Connelly does not win many but this fella is tough with a capital T.
Against Peter, he had his head jabbed off for four rounds but rather than cover up for the last couple, take his money and head down the A1 he came out firing in the fifth and sixth.
Twelve months earlier at the Stadium of Light, he refused to buckle under intense pressure from Glenn Foot, who hit him from all sides, legally and illegally.
It all means that Luke MUST use his skill and movement at Rainton Meadows Arena against this Derbyshire rock, who takes some moving on his visits to Durham, as Cope’s coach,Imran Naeem acknowledged.
“Lee is a good, solid opponent, someone to learn from, someone who will give us the rounds,” Imran told punch-lines.
“He is no pushover as a lot of boxers have found.
“I remember Lee had a great fight a couple of years back with Glenn at the Stadium of Light and Glenn couldn’t get him out of there.
“I’m looking forward to seeing Luke produce a clever performance.”
Cope is part of a crop of unbeaten talent in action at Rainton Meadows as Phil Jeffries promotes for the first time in 2019.
Luke (pictured above left) will be joined by Natural Progression Boxing Academy team-mates, Joe Maphosa (7-0) and Terry Tyers (4-0) on the 10-bout event.
Teesside is also represented by the Redcar brothers, Joe and Tom Hill (3-0, 5-0), plus ex-South Bank ABC star Michael Webster. The Boro fighter boxed at heavyweight in the amateurs but the Michael Marsden-managed 26-year-old will campaign at cruiser.
There is a heavy Tyneside contingent in the form of Joe Laws (3-0), Jone Volau (5-4) and Terence Wilkinson (3-0).
Words: Roy Kelly
