For the third weekend out of five, North East fans have the opportunity to sample live action when Matty Jobes stages his first show of 2023.
After the two events in Newcastle, it’s off to the Rainton Arena on Saturday April 1, when nine contests are scheduled.
Sadly, the pick of the bunch, a maiden Northern Area title defence for Matt ‘Stark’ McCallum against North-East neighbour Adam Hepple was lost when injury ruled out the champion.
The main man is now Sedgefield’s Jeff Saunders who will be letting the ‘Hands of Stone’ go against Serge Ambomo over six rounds.
It will be, almost to the day, the eighth anniversary of Jeff’s professional debut and, eight years on, he remains undefeated, having won all 15 of his bouts.
An enforced year-and-a-half absence just when he looked on the verge of honours was a cruel blow but it will be interesting to see if he can make a push now. The talent is certainly there.
Here, he comes up against the redoubtable Abomo, the Sheffield-based Cameroon fighter on his sixth appearance to the region.
It would not be inaccurate to say Serge can blow hot and cold and last time out he was rather warm in beating Andrew Robinson in Birmingham, so it could be an interesting fight on Saturday.
Peterlee-trained Greek-Geordie Alex Farrell won in France last time out, outpointing Aljaz Venko in Cannes last November, would appear to be on the verge of something after eight wins.
Here the ‘Black Diamond’ has been matched with an Angel over six rounds, Bulgaria’s Angel Emilov, who drew in Liverpool with an unbeaten prospect last time out.
The other six-rounder features Nathan Cummiskey, who takes on one of boxing’s great institutions, Fonz Alexander.
Cummiskey has come back well from a surprise first career defeat at the Summer Rumble at the Stadium of Light, where he was outpointed by Petar Aleksandrov.
The Newcastle light-welter responded with wins against Rustem Fatkhullin and Georgi Velichkov and while Fonz’s record of 8-140-1 would appear to make victory a formality, he must be on his guard given the Newark veteran won his last bout.
There was talk, not that long ago, of Cummiskey being involved in a Nathan North-East derby with Bishop Auckland’s Nathan Forrest.
Regretably it never materialised after a weight could not be agreed upon. How nice it would be if these ‘live’ fights could come off.
Forrest boxes here too, looking for pro win number four against a former Cummiskey victim, Jake Osgood, from Carlisle.
There is also a four-rounder for Ellis Corrie, whose career could be best described as stop-start.
It is great to see the Darlington welterweight, who has two explosive Northern Area title wins on his log, back after a 12-month absence against Yorkshireman Martin Shaw.
Manchester features as the opposition for the other three four-rounders.
Redcar’s Bobby Dalton has made an entertaining entrance to the paid ranks with three straight Ws. He tackles the fighter known as ‘The Choirboy’s, Dale Arrowsmith at Rainton.
John Spencer is the opponent for Spennymoor’s Kai Richmond, who too has begun well as a pro with back-to-back victories.
Robbie Colman began his pro career by beating the aforementioned Osgood and the Jarrow crowd-pleaser rides again here in the battle of the new professionals against Harley Marginson.
There is a debut for new Jobes signing Laura Wilson, who won a couple of Box Cups while representing Empire School of Boxing in the amateurs.
Laura is up against Poland’s Bojana Libiszewska, who has been in good company throughout her 60-fight career.
Words: Roy Kelly
