Dave Binns faces a busy day on the coaching front as his boxers make up 25 per cent of the left side of the Summer Rumble card.
The in-form Peterlee camp have four unbeaten fighters in action at the annual July spectacular in Sunderland.
Darren Surtees, who topped the bill at the 2018 event at the Stadium of Light is, again, the main man to watch following the collapse of stablemate Tom Hill’s Northern Area title derby with Ellis Corrie.
‘One Bomb’ Tom still boxes on the 12-fight Phil Jeffries/ Steve Wraith promotion, along with newest team-mates, Adam Gair, and Alex Farrell.
Surtees (pictured) is up against Mexican Arturo Lopez, Hill has a potentially-tricky domestic encounter with Chris Jenkinson, Gair meets the cruiserweight known as ‘Rambo’, Dmitrij Kalinovskij, while Farrell debuts against another Lithuanian, Arvydas Trizno.
“Darren’s looking mint,” reported Binns, who says the Thornley stoppage specialist will be just as content with a rare points triumph.
“If it comes, it comes (a stoppage) but he always looks to best his opponent with his boxing.
“Lopez is a lot better than his record suggests (5-11-3) and I just want to see Darren box and use his skills.
“A lot of people don’t realise how good he is.”
One of this writer’s favourite ‘Dazzla’ performances came at the 2018 Rumble when he outpointed William Warburton.
He has won more emphatically since but this display had a bit of everything, a fact not lost on Binns.
“The win over William Warburton stood out for me too,” said the coach.
“Warby came to win but you could see in the first round him thinking ‘I’m not going to stand with this kid’.
“He is someone who can mix it and make it hard for his opponent but he was out-boxed and out-punched.”
Lopez’s record is something of a mixed bag but at 23, he cannot be taken lightly.
Nor can Jenkinson who, despite a heavy number of losses, can give the home boxer a test.
Binns has tons of belief in Hill to go on to title level and he’ll be looking for an impressive display from the Redcar light-welter.
Gair looked good on debut at MTK’s event at Newcastle Eagles Arena and he will have to be on his guard at the Stadium of Light.
Kalinovskij’s record will not give him nightmares but it is littered with the scalps of a number of new professionals.
“He is fit and he is dangerous if take lightly,” said Binns.
Making up the East Durham College quartet is Farrell, a former Greek champion who now attends Northumbria University.
“He’s a lovely kid and he can box,” said Binns. “I’m looking forward to his bout.”
Tickets will be available on the door at the main entrance to the Stadium of Light. Doors will open at 12.30pm with boxing due to start at 1.30pm.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Jennifer Charlton
