Undefeated Hartlepool prospect Jason Cumming is ready for his first significant step up in boxing head on this weekend.
The exciting fighter, known as ‘The Engine’ because of his phenomenal work-rate, will tackle Jonatas de Oliveira at Houghton on Saturday.
His 28-year-old opponent, from Brazil, will be fighting for the 21st time while it will be bout number three for the former Hartlepool Elite Boxing Academy graduate.
De Oliveira, known as the ‘Marajoara Monster’ brings a record of six victories and 14 losses but, here’s the key stat, five of his wins are via stoppage.
Clearly, it’s an early test for the recently-turned 21-year-old, who is not the easiest to match after overwhelming Simas Volosinas and Kiernan McAfee, but head coach Peter Cope is confident.
“It’s definitely a step up,” said Cope. “This lad he’s in with can obviously punch.
“To be truthful, it’s come quicker than I thought but Jason has made such incredible progress.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing him perform on Saturday night.”
Cumming, who trains out of Hartlepool Elite Boxing Academy’s HQ under Cope, Alan Temple and Wayne McCarte, one of his coaches from his amateur career, has won two out of two as a professional.
Both have come inside the distance and both in the same Rainton Arena ring he will be gracing this Saturday on Steve Wood’s VIP show, headlined by undefeated Sunderland star Travis Waters.
Cumming, pictured second from right, is not long back from a training camp in Florida, finished just before Hurricane Milton swept through the sunshine state.
He was based in Celebration, just a stone’s throw from Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.
It was a trip financed by one of his sponsors, Paul Gough, who has a home in the wonderfully-named village.
The 43-year-old, who began business life in Hartlepool with Paul Gough Physio Rooms, is now an internationally-renowned figure in the fitness world, including staging seminars for physiotherapists and personal trainers in the United States.
“Paul is an amazing man and one of Jason’s sponsors, all of whom we value greatly,” said Cope.
“We got to stay with Paul and his family and got to use the gym in his home and pool.
“It was nice he got the chance to swim for a change, because all Jason does is run.
“It was a beautiful place to run and he did plenty of running too there.
“Everything was right and we can’t thank Paul enough for his support and hospitality.
“It wasn’t all work, Jason got to see the theme parks, which was all part of an incredible experience.”
However, it wasn’t all runs in the sun and rollercoasters in the parks – there was some serious work in a downtown Orlando boxing gym.
“Jason had arranged some sparring in the city,” reported Cope. “It was a great gym, they were lovely people and we shook hands and got on with it.
“The first guy Jason sparred was a top prospect around there and they’d arranged six rounds. Jason jumped all over him and I remember the other boxer’s coaching saying ‘where the hell did you get this kid from?
“That boxer had won all 12 and stopped nine and the next sparring partner was a big, solid kid who’d won four out of four, all in the first round.
“He also took on a lad who’d won 11 out of 11 with nine stoppages.
“I said to Jason ‘you don’t pick them easy do you?’ and he replied ‘what would be the point in doing that?’.
“He beat all three of them up. But they loved him, they’d never seen that English style before and the guy who ran the place said ‘when you are in the US, this is your gym’.
“It all went brilliantly and has helped us get ready for Saturday.”
Words: Roy Kelly
