Luke Cope returns to work this week with his new team setting their sights big.
The gifted Hartlepool boxer goes back inside the ropes against Rustem Fatkhullin in Houghton on Friday evening.
To say the 26-year-old has had a stop-start career would be an understatement – his four-rounder with the Russian will be only his sixth fight in six years as a professional.
But the VIP event, also featuring Thomas Hodgson and Travis Waters, is a new beginning for the boxer whose five wins have come under Imran Naeem and the Natural Progression gym in Stockton.
His new trainer John Stubbs, one half of the Tenacity coaching team alongside Anth Kelly, is looking forward to seeing the unbeaten light-welter take what he’s been doing in the Headland and Wearmouth gyms into the Rainton Arena.
“It’s his first fight for Tenacity and we are looking forward to it,” said Stubbs.
“He should have boxed on the Wasserman show on DAZN in Newcastle in the summer but that show got pushed back and the new date didn’t suit.
“But this is a good fight for Luke and we’ll be looking to get him out again before the end of the year.
“Luke, through no fault of anyone, has had a lot of inactivity, so it is important to get a couple of fights this year.
“The plan then is for 2024 to be a big year and we’d really like to push on for a title challenge.”
Cope is now part of VIP Boxing, the company of Manchester fight figure Steve Wood, who will be promoting Friday evening’s first foray into the North-East.
Stubbs hopes that Luke can gain a promotional contract with one of the country’s biggest promotional outfits, such as Matchroom, whose events are shown via DAZN or Wasserman, whose events are broadcast on Channel 5.
“With Steve Wood and VIP, the boxers will always get the chance to fight on some big shows,” said Stubbs.
“It’s easier to get the fights on those sort of shows and it would be nice for Luke to get signed up by a Matchroom or Wasserman.”
First though for the slick mover, he must take care of Friday’s business against Fatkhullin.
The 30-year-old Russian is one of boxing’s busiest fighters, having had 16 contests already in 2023.
While he might be his country’s most prolific journeymen, with a middle name of Roubles given the way he regularly tops up his bank account, but he is not someone to be taken lightly or for granted.
Two appearances ago, he ended the unbeaten record of Amar Kayani in London after his opponent had gone into the ring off the back of seven straight wins.
Other North-East prospects on parade on Friday are Sunderland’s Adam Reichard and, further up the weight scale, heavyweight Will Howe, AKA ‘The Boro Balboa’.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Tom Collins
