Joe Laws, April Hunter and new professional, Cyrus Pattinson, will all have continental opposition when they provide the supporting cast in Newcastle.
The North-East trio are on the undercard of Lewis Ritson’s final IBF world light-welterweight eliminator against undefeated Argentinian, Jeremias Ponce, on Saturday, June 12 at the Vertu Motors Arena where Tommy Ward’s 10-rounder with Mexican featherweight champion Edy Valencia Mercado is the chief support.
Both those fights against Spanish-speaking opposition are pivotal to the careers of Ritson and Ward, but the international matches made for Laws, Hunter and Pattinson on this sold-out show are important for those boxers too.
Laws, back inside the ring for the first time since the only blemish on his record, is up against Venice-based Nestor Maradiaga.
Maradiaga comes from that seemingly never-ending conveyor belt of boxers from Nicaragua who are now resident in mainland Europe.
There might be a question mark over Nestor’s age (BoxRec have him listed as 20, even though this is his sixth year as a pro), but he looks a game enough opponent with a fair record of 9-10-2, five wins via stoppage, the most recent being a second-round triumph over Italian fighter Ciprian Albert in April.
Seven of the Ws came in his first nine contests back home in Nicaragua but he’s often found himself matched by top fighters since settling in Italy, where he has boxed a couple of times on Matchroom Italia shows.
For Laws, stopped last time out by Rylan Charlton in Peterborough last October, it represents an opportunity to return to winning ways and clinch his 10th paid victory on home turf and at the scene of some of his best night.
While the Benwell Bomber (pictured) chases win number 10, his former Wallsend Boxing Academy team-mate and friend, April Hunter, is after her fourth straight victory.
The Howdon star, now based in Liverpool, takes on experienced Hungarian, Klaudia Vigh, on the Matchroom event.
Vigh has been a regular visitor to the UK, losing every time, including a two-round hammering by Savannnah Marshall in Manchester in late 2019.
Hunter was a winner in Barcelona in her last bout, outpointing French title challenge Elsa Hemat over four rounds in April.
For Pattinson, next Saturday marks the first steps on the professional journey for the former Great Britain boxer.
The 27-year-old, from Alnwick, will be up against Bulgaria’s Yoncho Markov.
It will be the 20-year-old’s seventh bout, having built up a 4-2 record, with two of his successes coming early, but it will only be his second appearance outside his homeland.
Unbeaten Londoner Ellie Scotney, who made her pro debut on the Ritson v Miguel Vazquez undercard in Peterborough last October, comes to Newcastle where she fights Spain’s Vanessa Caballero.
Elsewhere, you could not accuse this country of being short of heavyweights and another prospect is in action at the Vertu Motors Arena as Midlander Solomon Dacres has his second fight, tackling Alvaro Terrero, from Spain.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Mark Robinson/ Matchroom
