Ellis Corrie could be about to move to a new level after being handed a shot at the English welterweight title.
The British Boxing Board of Control installed the exciting 23-year-old as the challenger for English champion Samuel Antwi’s maiden defence of his belt.
BBBC officials have asked for purse bids by Wednesday, June 9 with the contest to take place by the end of October. Antwi took the title in February, the Londoner stopping Darren Tetley inside six rounds in Bolton in February.
It is fantastic news for the Darlington boxer (totally deserved too) established himself as a very warm prospect at 147lbs following two ruthless Northern Area championship triumphs.
Corrie, a noted Muay Thai exponent, is some finisher and, given his background in his former discipline, he does not care a jot for venues, records or reputations.
He is a fighter and boy can he fight.
Punch-lines rated the A66 derby between Darlington and Redcar too close to call when Corrie and Tom Hill did battle for the vacant Northern Area belt in December 2019.
A thumping Corrie right put ‘One Bomb’ down in the fourth and while Hill got back to his feet, it was soon waved off by referee Ron Kearney after another strong attack from ‘2 Cool’ on Phil Jeffries’ Christmas Cracker show in Houghton.
It was the first stoppage win of his career but if anyone thought the manner of the victory by the Pete Shepperson-coached and Steve Wraith-managed boxer was a fluke they would soon receive an emphatic answer.
Corrie made the maiden defence of his crown at the end of February 2020 when he took on Chad Ellis on MTK’s Newcastle promotion.
And Corrie was even quicker this time, his explosive right again doing the damage, with the bout halted in the final seconds of the first round.
Corrie had been lined up to fight on the Lewis Ritson v Miguel Vazquez-headlined event in Newcastle last April, only for Covid to put paid to the Matchroom show.
It has therefore been a rather long absence, just when he was in such devastating form.
But a match up with Antwi is one to get his teeth into.
It looks highly exciting and one which may not need the judges’ cards.
Like Corrie, Antwi has two Area title wins under his belt, his first Southern Area eighth-round stoppage of Jez Smith being one of the pick of the results in a 14-bout career which has produced 13 wins (six early) with just the one loss.
A points defence of Siar Ozgul followed but the 29-year-old, known as ‘True Sensation’ really made his mark earlier this year with a sixth-round finish of Tetley on an MTK show to become England’s champion.
It’s a challenge for Corrie in every respect, but it’s one that won’t faze him.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Tom Collins/Stockton & Billingham Life
