Tenacity. Surely as good a name for a boxing team as you can find.
And fans get the opportunity to see just how tenacious their boxers are at Houghton on Friday evening.
Luke Cope, Adam Reichard, Beau Smith and Travis Waters are in action on VIP’s maiden North-East show, alongside Thomas Hodgson, Will Howe and Thomas Varey.
Tenacity’s leading boxer, Darlington’s 8-0 Ben Marksby, has been ruled out of this show, but the Sunderland-Hartlepool team, of Anth Kelly and John Stubbs, have an exciting squad with a quartet in action at Rainton Meadows.
Cope is making his debut for Tenacity and VIP, having won his first five fights for the Natural Progression gym in Stockton, where he was coached by Imran Naeem.
The Hartlepool 26-year-old will take on Russian journeyman Rustem Fatkhullin.
Boxing for the fourth time will be the excellent southpaw Waters, who has made quick progress following a very good amateur career with Sunderland ABC.
The 26-year-old has also been matched with a Russian, Vasif Mamedov, who got a draw last time out.
“With Travis, we’ve got the same sort of plan as Luke,” Stubbs told punch-lines. “We’ll get him one more contest this year and then next year four or five and look for titles.”
There is less haste for fellow Sunderland boxer, Reichard, who has won both outings to date on high-profile shows in Newcastle.
He has Nicaraguan opposition in Rainton Arena against Engel Gomez who has won eight and drawn one of his 27 contests.
“There’s no massive rush with Adam at the age of 22,” said Stubbs. “He’s sparred with some pros and he’s looking the part.”
Smith, at 19, is the youngest of the troop and the ex-Wearmouth ABC welterweight makes his professional debut on Friday evening.
“Just like Adam, we’ll take our time with Beau,” said Stubbs. “He boxed in the seniors last year and reached the quarter-finals of the ABAs. I think he felt at a bit of a crossroads in the sport and decided to go pro.”
Hodgson will be having his VIP debut after crossing the Pennines from the management of Dennis Hobson to Steve Wood in Manchester.
One of the North-East’s brightest and most exciting talents, the 6-0 North Shields star is fighting for the first time since the summer of 2022 and will take on the Madrid-based Mexican Christian Lopez.
From Tyneside we switch attention to Teesside and a second professional appearance for the ‘Boro Balboa’.
Howe, who made a successful debut in July on the undercard of Savannah Marshall’s world super-middleweight triumph in Manchester, tackles Bulgaria’s Milen Paunov.
The Middlesbrough heavyweight, formerly with Peter Fury, is now part of the Mo Prior/ Dave Westgarth set up and training out of Billingham Boxing Academy.
Breaking the North-East monopoly at Rainton is Blackpool’s Varey. The teenage pro, who won on debut earlier this month in his home town, has his second pro bout in quick succession, facing Nicaragua’s Miguel Zamora.
Words: Roy Kelly
