Back to Business. Never has a show had a more appropriate handle.
The words are attached to Harlem Eubank’s eagerly-awaited return to action against France’s Nurali Erdogan in Newcastle on Friday, November 22.
The undefeated Brighton star’s appearance at the Walker Dome will be his first in 12 months since his points win over Timo Schwarzkopf in his home town in November 2023.
But Back to Business could easily apply to Cyrus Pattinson’s comeback on the Wasserman Boxing event at the popular fight venue just north of the Tyne, where the Northumberland star fights Andrei Antanov.
Pattinson has not fought since August 2023 when the then 6-0 Matchroom prospect suffered a crushing stoppage defeat to Conah Walker in Birmingham.
An eye injury sustained in sparring interrupted – and threatened – the career of the 30-year-old southpaw, who had excited viewers with some destructive finishing in his winning run.
It led to some dark days for the Alnwick southpaw as he explained in an interview with Boxing Social.
“I always trained once, twice a day, and when that’s taken away from you and you can’t do that for months, you can imagine the spiral that it sends your head on, especially when you don’t know if you’re going to fight again, never mind you might not be able to see properly again, your eyes might be blurry forever,” he said.
But Cyrus is back and faces Antonov over six rounds on the show which will be broadcast by Channel 5. The Russian brings a fair record of 4-3-2.
Pattinson is, of course, originally from the Birtley ABC production line.
Another member of that incredible group is Dan Toward who will be out to register his fifth win on the spin at the Walker Dome, where he is matched with Johan Nova, from Colombia.
It must be noted that the gifted Gateshead southpaw, who has won three early, will be boxing his fifth opponent with a winning fight log.
The 21-year-old South American boasts a 9-1 record with seven victories coming via stoppage, all in his homeland. It is scheduled for eight rounds, if it makes it that far.
Staying on the subject of Birtley ABC, yet another former star will be in action, Lee Rogers, who fights Yin Caicedo, of Colombia!
Rogers made his pro debut in the summer when he dazzled on the Jobes Boxing event in Houghton, where Lee won an at-times feisty affair with Batley’s Nabil Ahmed.
Ben Marksby is NOT part of the Birtley set, but the undefeated Darlington light-welterweight is certainly star quality.
The 25-year-old, who has assembled a perfect record of 10 wins, has a test against Sheffield-based Londoner Levi Kinsiona over 10 rounds in Walker.
Marksby, no longer a part of the Tenacity set-up after what punch-lines believes was an amicable split between gym and boxer, is lined up for a British championship eliminator with Khaleel Majid, so Friday night’s bout will be a crucial build-up towards that
Co Durham will also be represented at Walker by Sunderland’s newest pro Eduard Georgiev, who makes his second professional appearance, when he tackles Jack England.
Born in Bulgaria, the 24-year-old has come to Wearside via Cyprus, and is trained by Craig Kent and Stan Williamson. He opened his career by outpointing Spanish-based Honduras boxer Jayro Fernando Duran in the summer and Friday night’s contest will be eagerly awaited.
All those North-East fellas are part of a stacked card, which also includes, in alphabetical order, Sophie Alisch, Niall Brown, J’hon Ingram, and Codie Smith.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Mark Robinson/ Matchroom
