Boxing is an incredible sport, but it has its pitfalls.
The biggest, surely, has to be the collapse of a fight, just ask AJ, who ended up boxing a tubby Mexican instead of Jarrell Miller. And look what happened.
It’s not like football where unless Sky or the weather intervenes, if Newcastle United and West Ham are scheduled to play at 3pm on Saturday, September 24, that is exactly when it will start.
Sadly, one of the North-East’s most anticipated matches is off.
Ellis Corrie v Tom Hill was due to headline this year’s Summer Rumble at the Stadium of Light. Not now, sadly this Darlington v Redcar Northern Area title fight on Sunday, July 14 has bitten the dust.
Not since Steve Wraith’s show at the Dolphin Centre back in May 2018 has a North-East show had a genuine 50-50 top of the bill with Hill putting his ‘0’ on the line against Corrie, who has converted smoothly from the Muay Thai arena.
Wraith and coach Pete Shepperson have withdrawn Ellis with the manager telling punch-lines that the boxer had not put in sufficient time and effort.
“I’ve said sorry to Tom who accepted the apology and understands,” said the Geordie fight figure who is promoting the event alongside Phil Jeffries.
“I’m disappointed to have to say that Ellis has not put in enough in the gym.
“Since he come back from holiday, his appearances in the gym have been sporadic.
“Peter had spoken to him and so had I after Peter had expressed his concerns to me.
“I was confident we’d see a change and there was still sufficient time to get ready for the fight.
“But there wasn’t a change and the straw which broke the camel’s back was when Peter got back at something like 2.30 in the morning from taking Adam Hutchinson to Glasgow for a fight.
“He was back up to meet Ellis at he gym at 5.30am and there was another non-appearance from Ellis.
“There was a frank exchange of views and it was decided now was the right time to pull the fight.
“Ellis has cited personal issues and if that’s the case then I have the utmost sympathy, but if we don’t know what they are then we can’t help.”
Hopefully, Corrie is OK and everyone will surely wish him well.
Hill will remain on the Summer Rumble and, with a bit of luck, the matchmaker will find him a suitable bout given the time he has already dedicated to this contest. Hopefully too, a genuine headline contest will be arranged which matches the prestige of this show.
Words: Roy Kelly
