A boxing show in the North-East, without a North-East boxer.
To label it an unlikely scenario is no exaggeration but unless anything untoward happens in the coming days that is what we are going to see at the Rainton Arena on Saturday, October 9.
Black Flash Promotions are bringing a seven-fight card to the Houghton venue, with one of the Manchester area’s brightest prospects, Jack Rafferty, topping the bill.
The event is being staged by Black Flash himself, Pat Barrett, who was some fighter in his day as a European welterweight champion with a record of 37 wins from 42 bouts, 28 inside the distance.
Now a trainer, manager and promoter, based in his native Manchester, Flash is coming to Co Durham and says he can’t wait.
“The North-East is a great, beautiful boxing place,” he said.
“For me to bring a set of Manchester kids with no North-East boxers on is a great challenge.
“There are a lot of good kids on it, a lot of good prospects, I think the North-East is going to love what we are bringing.”
It will be intriguing, to say the least, to see how it plays out.
Barrett has been to the region before, with mixed results.
At the back end of 2016, he promoted at Newcastle Racecourse with two young fellas at the start of their journey, Zelfa Barrett (Pat’s nephew) and Lyndon Arthur both winning.
Zelfa, known as ‘Brown Flash’, is the Commonwealth super-featherweight champion and Arthur is the Commonwealth light-heavyweight title holder.
Pat Barrett’s most recent visit was something of a shambles, a couple of pals of mine paid 60 quid apiece and ended up watching three four-rounders at the Lancastrian Suite in the summer of 2019.
There are seven bouts listed for Saturday.
Rafferty will be known to eagle-eyed North-East boxing observers as the man who beat Tom Hill during lockdown, ‘Demolition Man’ outpointing ‘One Bomb’ on an MTK gig.
The 26-year-old (pictured) is matched with Italian Valerio Mazzulla, a Roman who either wins by stoppage or loses by the same method.
Sean McGoldrick is Barrett’s other notable name, the Welshman having built up a 10-1 record, his only loss coming to former Sunderland fighter, Thomas Essomba.
Former Welsh amateur champion, Ethan King, is set to debut at cruiserweight while the rest of the card is made up of new Black Flash prospects, Connor Ward, Joe Morgan, Tom Rafferty and Niall Brown, who have a combined 6-0 record.
The promoter spoke on a feature on Black Flash’s Facebook page.
“We’re like a circus,” said the ring-master himself.
“We go to one city, do something, they like us and then they say ‘when’s the circus coming back?’.
“It’s not the first time we’ve been up to Newcastle, Lyndon and Zelfa have boxed up in Newcastle.
“They became stars overnight before they were even on TV. “Now everyone wants to see them back there.”
Words: Roy Kelly
