Matt McCallum knows what it takes to be a Northern Area champion and to do it early in his career.
That is why the 33-year-old is in no way taking his middleweight title showdown with Billy Wade lightly at Rainton Arena on Saturday, November 30.
The Houghton venue is the stage for an exciting Northern Area double, with Jeff Saunders and Bobby Dalton colliding at welterweight on the Jobes Bopxing spectacular.
McCallum will start as favourite, and correctly so given his career to date, and given the fact this is only the fourth professional fight for Wade and his first against a winning fighter.
But the Morpeth southpaw recalls producing a similar number on Mike McGoldrick in Bolton in the summer of 2022 when he stopped the Cumbrian in the seventh round to snatch his Northern Area super-middleweight belt.
“It’s a big step up for Billy, but I boxed for the Northern Area title in my fifth pro fight,” the Jobes Boxing star told punch-lines in the glitzy surroundings of the Everlast gym in Gateshead.
“I’d only had two four rounders and two sixes so it’s similar in that regard, so credit where credit’s due to Billy.
“He’s game and he’s obviously confident, but I just know I’ll have too much strength, experience, grit and heart.”
For all he is not dismissing the chances of his rival from down the A1M, McCallum believes there will be doubts in Wade’s mind over the distance at the Houghton venue.
“I would say I’m a seasoned 10-round professional and I’ve built a lot of experience,” said Matt, who has boxed over 10 or eight rounds in SIX of his last seven contests.
“I’ve an opponent who is not experienced as a professional, I’ve been those 10 rounds multiple times, boxed away from home been on TV shows, all that helps.
“I remember my first 10-rounder when I beat Michael McGoldrick. I got into the sixth and seventh and you can’t help having those doubts in your mind, ‘Am I cut out for this?’ and ‘can I do this?’.
“You prove yourself that you can, but until you have done it every single fighter is going to have those thoughts in their first.”
He may not have done a 10 yet, but Wade is not short of belief after clocking up three straight wins in the paid ranks and McCallum says he is reading too much into the Newton Aycliffe fighter’s tight points win over Manchester-based Iranian Bahadur Karami.
The boxer known as the ‘Freedom Fighter’ is known for giving opponents problems and Wade just got over the line 58-57 on the card of judge Neil Close.
Click here to read Billy Wade’s take on Saturday’s fight.
“I didn’t think much of his last contest but the lad he was fighting deserves credit,” said McCallum (pictured above with Danny McKie from Jobes Boxing), whose record is a very respectable 7-4, especially given the standard of his fights.
“I spoke to Callum Walton, who had also been given a good fight by Karami.
“Journeymen sometimes get a bad name, but they are the ones who bring you on.
“For those who might say Billy was rubbish in his last fight I’d say ‘actually he’s a better fighter now for having had those six rounds’.
“That will serve him well for Saturday.”
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Jason Corbett/ Mindenwood Photography
