Is Simon Vallily ready to make his presence felt on the British boxing scene?
It’s a very relevant question and could well have a fascinating answer.
Vallily is a fighter re-born at the age of 34, having racked up three stoppage victories in 2019, and now he is chasing a fourth on a live TV appearance next month.
The Teessider will face Fabio Wardley at London’s famous York Hall on Thursday, December 19, when Sky Sports show the latest JD NXTGEN installment.
Vallily has been matched with the Ipswich heavyweight who is on a fast track to the top having won all eight of his professional bouts, SEVEN inside the distance.
For Wardley, having the name ‘Vallily’ as his newest victim would raise him another level but, for the ex-Commonwealth Games gold medaliast it is a chance to get amongst the British heavies.
If you had witnessed either (or both) opening Vallily had, and threw away, in 2018, you would have said he had no future.
First, he squandered a golden opportunity at the Metro Radio Arena, where he was controlling the English cruiserweight championship match with Arfan Iqbal. He lost his discipline and ended up drawing a bout he should have won with comfort.
Promoter Eddie Hearn gave him another platform later in the year, only for Simon to turn up without a coach and over the championship weight and, surprise, surprise, he performed badly and was stopped by Craig Glover.
Since then the MTK-managed fighter has said adios to cruiserweight and joined the heavies, to very good effect.
A huge right stopped Jone Volau in a Tyne-Tees derby at the Newcastle Eagles Arena, before beating Dorian Darch at the Summer Rumble ahead of another early night in a terrible miss-match against chubby Belgian, Erik Nazaryan, last month.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Tom Collins/ Stockton & Billingam Life
