What an exciting period for North-East boxing with two major shows within only three weeks of each other.
MTK are up first at the Newcastle Eagles Community Arena on Saturday, September 28, with Matchroom just half a mile up the road at the Utilita Arena on Saturday, October 18.
With MTK’s second visit to the city in 2019 just a couple of Saturdays away, the bill is beginning to take shape.
Punch-lines has already brought you news of top-of-the-bill Tommy Ward’s 10-round international affair against Yesner Talavera.
The Spanish-based boxer comes to Tyneside with a good record of 15-9-1 (4) and as a former Nicaragua champ and a challenger for the World Boxing Organisation’s Inter-Continental super-bantam belt.
Click here to read about Ward v Talavera.
Another fascinating 10-rounder is on the card up at the other end of the weight range.
Rejuvenated Simon Vallily chases his third straight win at heavyweight against fellow 34-year-old Erik Nazaryan, from Belgium.
It was hard to see where the former Commonwealth Games gold medallist’s career was going after two disastrous nights at the Metro Radio Arena in 2018.
He looked on course to become English cruiserweight champ in June, only to throw it away against Arfan Iqbal and then turned up over weight in October and was stopped by Craig Glover.
But how Simon has come back, producing the finish of the night at MTK’s last show here when his sledgehammer right stopped Jone Volau in Tyne-Tees derby
The Middlesbrough boxer was at it again at the Summer Rumble with another stoppage win against Dorian Darch.
Big Erik, from Bruges, looks handy with a record of 27-22-4 (20), so with both men enjoying early nights, it should be good, for as long as it lasts.
Staying with the big fellas, Swalwell’s Steve Robinson has a tricky professional debut against Shaun Duffy, a Brummie with two wins and two defeats on his fight log.
Robinson, managed by Mark Clauzel and coached by Giuseppe Bivona turned pro this year after becoming disillusioned with the amateur scene following a very good career.
The in-form Peterlee gym of David Binns have three representative in action, which have already been detailed on punch-lines, with Alex Farrell meeting Saif Zahoor, Adam Gair tackling Elvis Dube (both over four rounds) and Redcar’s Tom Hill taking on Nathan Hardy over six.
Click here to read about Farrell, Gair and Hill.
There are two other six rounders at the Scotswood Road venue, Geordie star Joe Laws against Jan Balog, from the Czech Republic, and unbeaten Spennymoor fighter Chad Ellis’s match with Hyde’s Dale Arrowsmith.
Chad’s MTK team-mate, Darren Reay, goes in with Yorkshire’s Yousef Al Hamidi over four and Glenn McCrory-trained Anth Ornsby faces Naheem Chaudhry, from Blackburn.
Gateshead’s Jeff Nesham, Wallsend’s Terence Wilkinson and fellow Newcastle fighter, Basi Razak, are also listed to box.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Jennifer Charlton
