Confidence is high in the Hill camp as the first Northern Area title fight for two and a half years draws ever nearer.
Redcar meets Darlington at the Rainton Meadows Arena on Friday, December 13 when the unbeaten Tom Hill meets Ellis Corrie for the welterweight belt.
It looks a great match up between boxers managed by the night’s two promoters, Phil Jeffries and Steve Wraith.
The fight too looks a 50-50 split and while Hill is respectful of his rival, there is no fear.
“It’s still seven weeks out but I feel good to go now, I just need to get in some good sparring now,” said the 24-year-old when punch-lines caught up with him at Dave Binns’ East Durham College gym in Peterlee.
“Ellis looks quite slippery to be fair but I don’t think he’s brings too much to the table that I can’t deal with.
“If he’s nothing else, he’s game, he’s gone on the road against undefeated fighters, something that I haven’t done, so I’m expecting a good hard fight.
“I think everything I’ve been doing in the gym is coming together in the ring.
“I’m under great guidance with Dave.
“I’ve had a good run of fights and opponents, tall lads, short and stocky, southpaw, I’ve had variety so I feel well prepared.
“Confidence is very good.”
And so it should, given he’s been on an eight-bout winning run, a sequence which includes two stoppages.
The fighter, known as ‘One Bomb’ looked highly impressive in outpointing tough Londoner, Jordan Grannum, at the Newcastle Eagles Arena at the end of September (pictured).
“I think everything I’ve been doing in the gym is coming together in the ring,” he said.
“I’m under great guidance with Dave.”
The pair had been due to get it together at the Summer Rumble in July, only for the fight to fall through.
But Hill says there are no hard feelings on his part ahead of the bout with the fighter known as ‘2 Cool’.
“You put a line under the past, you can’t hold on to stuff like that for too long, can you?” Tom told punch-lines.
“It is frustrating but that sort of thing will happen more than once in your career.
“I’m just looking forward to December 13.”
So are the fans, given it’s the first Northern Area scrap since May 2017. The undercard as packed featuring names like April Hunter, Joe Maphosa, Lawrence Osueke, Simon Vallily and Terence Wilkinson among others.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Tom Collins/ Stockton & Billingham LIfe
