Three unbeaten North-East starlets get the opportunity to shine on the big stage on the night when Josh Kelly aims to home in on a world title shot.
The Sunderland talent faces unbeaten Argentinian Gabriel Corzo for the WBO international light-middleweight belt in Newcastle on Saturday, June 24.
On the undercard, Luke Cope, Ben Marksby and Travis Waters, a trio from the fast-growing Tenacity stable, will all be in action at the Vertu Motors Arena.
All three were notable amateurs in the North-East while they boast the perfect start to life in the paid ranks, with a combined record of 14-0.
Marksby has won all six of his bouts and set down quite a marker on Wasserman’s previous visit to Newcastle back in December, when he defeated Santiago Garces in what proved to be one of the fights of the night at the Utilita Arena.
The Darlington 23-year-old, trained by Anth Kelly and John Stubbs, the Sunderland/ Hartlepool combination who mastermind Tenacity, was exciting to watch and, hopefully, his seventh assignment will be another step up.
Cope (pictured) will be chasing his sixth straight success as pro on what will be his debut for Tenacity and new manager Steve Wood of VIP Boxing.
It follows his decision to leave the Natural Progression Boxing Academy in Stockton, where Imran Naeem had been his long-time trainer.
Luke (pictured) will be hoping to make quick progress after something of a stop-start career to date.
A pro now for five years, the Hartlepool light-welter has only fought five times, all wins, his most recent success at Rainton Arena back in November, when he outpointed Carlisle’s Jake Osgood.
He is the youngest sibling of the fighting Cope family, with brothers Daniel, Peter and Adam all Northern Area title winners and Adam due to challenge Lewis Sylvester for the vacant English lightweight title on July 1.
Welterweight prospect Waters has made a superb start as a professional with three wins inside five months.
The Sunderland southpaw got the ball rolling in Newcastle at the start of December when he won on the Josh Kelly-Troy Williamson undercard with a points success over Eligio Palacios.
The 26-year-old then stopped Leeds fighter Joe Hardy in the first round of their bout in Bolton before outpointing Spanish-based Central American Berman Sanchez in Wakefield last month.
Tenacity’s squad also includes two former Wearmouth ABC boxers, Adam Reichard and Beau Smith.
Adam has clocked up two points wins from two, both at the Utilita Arena, defeating Claudio Baldomir on his debut in December and then Jahfieus Faure in March on the Cyrus Pattinson-Chris Jenkins undercard, while Beau is awaiting his professional debut.
There is other interest on the Wasserman/DAZN show with Gateshead’s very own Drago, Steve Robinson, taking on unbeaten heavyweight Franklin Ignatius, while ‘Benwell Bomber’ Joe Laws, who has been out of the ring since December’s thrilling win over Alexander Zeledon, is lined up to box.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Tom Collins
