Tom Hill has a “belting opportunity” to make a breakthrough at welterweight after accepting a match with rising star Jack Rafferty.
The pair will meet in a behind-closed-doors eight-round showdown in Pontefract on Sunday, October 18 on IFLTV, the day after Savannah Marshall, Lewis Ritson and Tommy Ward perform live on Sky Sports.
This is a huge opening for the Redcar talent who last year made an unsuccessful bid for the Northern Area welterweight title, losing to Ellis Corrie inside four rounds at Houghton in December.
Big-hitting Rafferty is one of MTK’s brightest prospects, the undefeated 25-year-old, from Shaw in Lancashire, having clocked up a dozen wins, seven early.
Hill, meanwhile, has nine wins from 10 outings with his ambition burning just as brightly, with coach Dave Binns believing his boxer can pull off a notable triumph on the MTK event at the Production Park Studios.
“Jack is a good kid,” the Peterlee-based coach told punch-lines in a socially-distanced interview outside his East Durham College gym.
“He’s a 12-fight unbeaten lad, who has stopped seven, but this is a belting opportunity for Tom. He’s in good shape and could box now.
“Tom’s a very good boxer and I’m confident he can win this.”
It promises to be an explosive affair, certainly if each fighter’s monikers are lived up to – Rafferty is known as ‘Demolition Man’ to Hill’s ‘One Bomb’.
After eight wins on the spin, Hill’s loss to Corrie interrupted his climb up the ladder, though he resumed successfully in February with a shut-out points victory over former Olympian, Serge Ambomo, at the Newcastle Eagles Community Arena.
“That one defeat he’s had has been killing him, but this is a great chance to make a break through,” said Binns.
“He came back nicely and looked mint against Serge Ambomo and has had some good sparring in our gym.
“I think Tom and Jack are on the same level and I don’t think this is too big a hill for him.”
There was no pun intended there by Binns, we don’t think, and a look at Rafferty’s record, good though it is, does not throw up any great concern.
Both Tom and Jack made their debuts against the daddy of UK journeyman, Kevin McCauley, but that aside, there are no common foes to provide any comparisons.
Rafferty, like Hill, was last out in February, registering a six-round points verdict over Spanish-based Mexican, Ismael Molina Moreno, a result which ended a sequence of four stoppage wins.
Hill is in good nick, having trained throughout lockdown in Redcar, and the 25-year-old is now happily back at the EDC HQ.
“He’s been keeping himself right all the way through,” added Binns. “He did get away to Italy for a week for a break but since he’s been back he’s not been out of the gym.”
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Tom Collins/ East Durham Life
