It’s on! Joe Maphosa’s challenge for the vacant English Super-flyweight championship has been confirmed.
Smokin’ Joe will take on ex-title holder Craig Derbyshire at Houghton-le-Spring on Saturday, July 31.
Punch-lines reported earlier in March how promoter Phil Jeffries was hoping to stage the undefeated Teessider’s maiden championship shot on his first show of 2021 and now it’s a reality.
“I’ve been involved in a lot of title fights in my time as a promoter and manager and this excites me as much as any of them,” said Jaffa.
“Joe has so much class, so much potential and this is going to be just the start for him.
“I was confident me and Craig’s manager, Carl Greaves, could come to an agreement and we have.
“Carl’s an old pal who’ll be trying to put one over on me here but Joe is something special and I can’t wait to see the fight.”
It looks like some fight.
Maphosa has recorded 10 wins out of 10 as a professional (one coming inside the distance) including a couple of tremendous performances at the same Rainton Meadows Arena, against ex-English champ Louis Norman and a top drawer former international medalist Marius Vysniauskas.
But this is no sedate summer stroll for the 26-year-old, who is trained by Imran Naeem at the Natural Progression Boxing Academy in Stockton.
Don’t be fooled by what would appear, to be an extremely modest record of Derbyshire of 7-28-3.
One of Derbyshire’s 28 losses has already come at the hands of Maphosa back in November 2017 when the Thornaby star won over four rounds at the Metro Radio Arena on the Josh Leather v Glenn Foot undercard. It was Joe’s third paid appearance, with referee Steve Hawkins marking it 40-37.
This is a totally different kettle of fish.
The 29-year-old Derbyshire, from South Yorkshire, knows his way around a championship ring.
Already the Central Area champ, he clinched the vacant English super-flyweight belt in May 2019, when he won in the favourite’s hometown, outpointing Northampton’s Nathan Reeve.
He then lost his crown in a tight points decision to Marcel Braithwaite in Hull and was hoping to get a re-match with the highly-touted Liverpool fighter, who has now vacated. To emphasise his experience, he has completed 10 rounds on four occasions.
“It’s a hard fight,” added Jeffries. “But it’s one I’m confident Joe will win, he has developed so much under Imran.”
This event replaces the traditional Summer Rumble, the annual outdoor spectacular at Sunderland’s majestic Stadium of Light.
“I’m gutted the Rumble could not go ahead this year,” the Wearside fight figure explained. “But the show at Rainton is going to be a cracker.
“It will be dependent on fans being allowed in, it can’t go ahead without that.
“Lockdown measures are still in place at the moment but by the end of July hopefully we can enjoy a great night of boxing.”
From May 17, indoor sporting events are allowed but with a reduced capacity, though from June 21 onwards those restrictions should be removed. Let’s hope no new waves, new variants, call them what you will, come along to spoil the fun.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Tom Collins/ Stockton & Billingham Life
