Just a week to go, that’s all.
A week to go until two of the North-East’s major talents and a clutch of prospects take to the ring on new boxing force Probellum’s first UK show, staged alongside the inimitable Phil Jeffries at Rainton Arena on Saturdfay, December 18.
Oh, and there is a return for Ricky Burns too.
It is a huge night at Houghton for the Scottish legend, a three-weight world champion, but it’s just as crucial for two men aiming to join him in the top bracket with Lewis Ritson up against Mexico’s Christian Uruzquieta and Tommy Ward taking on Leonardo Padilla, from Venezuala.
Ritson and Burns have been tuning up together, both in Scotland and at the Forest Hall gym of Lewis’s dad and trainer, Davy, and those sessions will be vital for Lewis, who is looking to bounce back from his IBF light-welterweight championship eliminator defeat to Jeremias Ponce in Newcastle in June.
Uruzquieta, recently a WBC International Silver champ, will land in the North-East with a 20-4-2 record, with seven of his wins coming early. Ritson’s log reads 21-2, with 12 of his successes inside the distance.
Ward has also not fought since that mid-summer evening at the Eagles Arena, but the unbeaten Dave Garside and Neil Fannan star is raring to go for this 32nd and highly-pivotal assignment.
Padilla is the fourth-rated featherweight with the World Boxing Association and with Ward ranked by the WBA this is the Co Durham man’s gateway into the top 10.
Both bouts are scheduled for 10 rounds, as is another UK-Latin affair as Burns resumes after two years out against Emiliano Dominguez, from Argentina.
Below the three big stars is a top supporting cast.
The two Joes, Laws and Maphosa, have six-rounders against, as yet, unnamed opposition, while there is a second pro outing for Mark Dickinson, also over six, with his foe still unannounced.
Jeffries’ prospect Greek Geordie Alex Farrell, a stunning winner over Serge Ambomo in September, is too in action over six, the unbeaten Dave Binns-trained light-middleweight taking on Russia’s Vladimir Fleischhauer.
Adam Cope makes a rapid return following an appearance at Rainton last month, with the Hartlepool lightweight up against Russian Rustem Fatkhullin over four rounds.
Jarrow’s Ewan McKenzie boxes for the second time in two weekends with a four-rounder against Kent’s Jack Dempsey Ewbank.
The card is completed by Oxford lightweight, Jordan Flynn, and featherweight, Mark McKeown.
This Probellum/ Jeffries spectacular is almost a sell-out and if you can’t make it to the venue it’s being shown free, on the aptly-titled FreeSports.
FreeSports is available as a free to air sports channel operating in the UK on Sky HD Channel 422, Virgin TV HD Channel 553, Freeview Channel 64.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Mark Robinson/ Matchroom
