Tommy Ward will be going back to where it all began for him when he boxes at the Stadium of Light.
The WBA’s world-number-one-rated featherweight will be the headline attraction at the Summer Rumble on Sunday, July 17, when he faces Africa’s Nasoro Madimba over 10 rounds.
That journey to the top of the rankings began 10 years ago pretty much to the day when Ward made his professional debut at Sunderland’s football aged 18 years and 60 days.
The Dave Garside and Neil Fannan boxer outpointed Slovakia’s Elemir Rafael that afternoon and 31 wins and a draw further down the road and Ward is back for his fifth Summer Rumble which is the 10th staged by promoter Phik Jeffries.
But this is no sentimental stroll down memory lane for the 28-year-old, these 10 rounds with the Tanzanian are all about staying on the right path for that so-far elusive world title shot.
“It looks a decent test,” said Fannan.
“But Tommy is not bothered about a hard fight, just look how well he boxed against Leonardo Padilla.
“Tommy wants a world title fight and we are looking to keep busy until one comes along.
“Someone asked me ‘is it wise to box?’
“But the world title fight might not come until the beginning of next year so, what do you do?
“For me, you need to be in the ring and keep busy and Tommy is a fighter and fighters have to fight.”
Madimba will be boxing outside Africa for only the second time and the 30-year-old arrives on Wearside with a fair record of 12 wins and a draw from 20 bouts to tackle the Probellum star.
It is one of two 10-rounders on the event with the other pitching opponents from much closer to home as Seaham’s Jordan Ellison takes on Adam Cope, from Hartlepool, for the Northern Area lightweight championship.
Another all-Northern affair sees undefeated Jarrow crowd favourite, Ewan McKenzie, in with Scarborough’s George Rhodes, who has lost just once.
There is a familiar Rumble face in Sunderland, with Terence Wilkinson back in the ring after a first career defeat last November.
Two of the North-East’s best little fellas, Joe Maphosa and Sam Menzies, are in action while some of the region’s newest talents make their first visits to the Stadium of Light.
Jordan Barker-Porter, who did her amateur boxing in Sunderland at Lambton Street ABC, is on the show, along with Nathan Cummiskey, Bobby Dalton, Darryl Hall and Moe Sayers.
There is a treat for the crowd in the form of ex-Team GB star turned pro, Peter McGrail, from Liverpool, making an appearance.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Tom Collins
