It’s on and it’s going to be massive.
Joe Maphosa’s challenge for the vacant English super-flyweight title will take place on Friday, September 10 at the Rainton Arena.
The unbeaten Thornaby fighter’s confrontation with former champion Craig Derbyshire has been postponed twice as the promoters faced logistical difficulties in this supposedly post-lockdown world we find ourselves in.
“It’s on, I’m relieved to say,” promoter Phil Jeffries told punch-lines.
“It has been a nightmare, but we can look forward to what looks like being a great night.
“When I signed Joe I never thought I’d be waiting for over a year for him to have his first fight for me.
“But it’s nearly here and I can’t wait.”
Nor can the boxing-starved North-East public who, a reduced capacity show at the Eagles Community Arena aside, have not seen any action since February 2020.
The top of the bill looks a fascinating 10-rounder despite their vastly different fight logs – Maphosa has 10 straight wins, including a four-round points shut-out over his opponent in 2017, compared to Derbyshire’s record of 7-28-3.
But the 30-year-old from South Yorkshire is well versed in championship boxing, having been involved in five 10-rounders, winning three.
Jeffries sees Maphosa v Derbyshire as the icing on the cake at the Houghton venue where a couple of the North-East’s tastiest talents will be taking to the ring.
Few have created more anticipation in only four appearances than unbeaten Peterlee-based Greek-Geordie Alex Farrell and hopefully we’ll get to witness David Binns’s ‘Black Diamond’ over more than four rounds here.
The same applies to Terence Wilkinson, who has won all eight of his paid dates, but the talented Lewis Ritson stablemate has yet to box more than four rounds so it would be great to see his talent over a longer distance.
Three debuts take place at Rainton, including the eagerly-awaited professional entrance of Jordan Barker–Porter.
To say female boxing has taken off would be an understatement and, having watched the Lambton Street ABC star win against Scotland’s Shannon Lawson in Sunderland pre-Covid, your punch-lines reporter can confirm the MTK talent is a welcome addition to the paid ranks.
Wallsend Boxing Academy coach Nik Gittus has a new signing on the event with Newcastle’s Darren Maxwell back in boxing after a handful of junior bouts in the amateur ranks.
Jeffries has a debutant in Ewan MacKenzie, who has been boxing out of the Bilton Hall Club in Jarrow. A real give-it-a-go customer, he will be worth watching.
Certainly in the ‘worth watching’ bracket are two Teessiders in the little and large bracket.
Mohammed Waqas, trained by Imran Naeem at the Natural Progression Gym in Stockton, has had something of a fractured career, but the former Northern Area super-flyweight title challenger is back for his first bout since September 2018.
Cruiserweight Michael Webster has made an explosive start to his professional life and the Middlesbrough fighter, managed by Michael Marsden and trained by Denis Power, will be out to make it five straight wins at Houghton.
Also boasting four straight Ws on his log is Wallsend prospect, Anth Ornsby, managed by Steve Wraith, the event’s co-promoter.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Tom Collins
