Etching his name in the record books and earning acclaim for the way he has approached his career.
That is twin aim of Matt McCallum ahead of stepping into the ring his Northern Area middleweight title affair with Billy Wade at Rainton Arena.
The Newcastle-based Morpeth southpaw will start the bout at the Houghton venue as the fancied man, given his extra professional experience over Wade.
Matt has been there, done it and worn the proverbial T-shirt, having stopped Mike McGoldrick to win the Northern Area super-middleweight belt, only to lose it in two rounds to Seaham’s Adam Hepple.
But, aside from those two championship battles, he has been involved in four other eight or 10 rounders in a career which shows a record of 7-4.
In total, he has fought in 72 rounds compared with 14 by Wade, with the 25-year-old having reeled off three wins at the start of his career.
McCallum was all conquering in the unlicensed fight game so it is refreshing that since joining mainstream boxing he has not been frightened off by a defeat or four.
Fighting hard and fighting well are what matters most to the man who will turn 34 in January.
“Records are for DJs and, in my opinion, you are not fully a professional boxer until you have been at least 10 rounds,” the Jobes Boxing southpaw told punch-lines.
“I got into boxing quite late but my view was ‘I’m really going to push it’.
“I’ve already won an area title but what I wanted most was for people to see me as a fighter who was game, fought anyone, ducked no-one and was as hard as nails.
“I never expected to turn pro, but I did, and I’ve embraced every minute of it and lived my life as a true professional.
“I’m now on the verge of etching my name in the history books by winning two Area titles at different weights.
“There aren’t many people to have won two.”
McCallum told punch-lines that he places no store on the fact he is viewed as favourite on Saturday night.
“It doesn’t bother me at all, I’ve been the favourite before and been beaten and been the underdog and won,” he said.
“I’ve been on the wrong end of a couple of decisions when I thought I’d won, as had the crowd and pundits.
“And this has been against boxers who’ve fought kids who have been the best around.
“Being in fights like that and my previous record fills me with confidence.”
Wade, from Newton Aycliffe, fights out of the Twins Academy in Trimdon,a gym not shy about climbing through the ropes however testing the challenge.
He is not short of optimism and that should make for a great fight, as we should expect when another man from South Durham, Jeff Saunders, goes into action for the vacant welterweight title against fellow unbeaten 147lb man, Bobby Dalton, from Redcar.
There are four support bouts at Rainton, all over six rounds.
it is good to see Mark Dickinson back at it as he looks to return to the winner’s enclosure on the show.
The West Rainton middleweight lost his unbeaten record in July, when he lost to Japanese KO specialist Kazuto Takesako over 10 rounds in Suita, Japan.
Dickinson has been matched with Bahadur Karami, the Manchester-based Iranian who has fought hard against Wade and Callum Walton on his last two visits to the North-East.
‘El Cannon’ Walton will doubtless come out firing in his six-rounder with Germany-based Ukrainian Serhil Ksendzov. The Ferryhill fighter is bidding for his sixth straight win.
Chasing victory number four is Seaham featherweight Joe Miller, who tackles Louis Smithson, from Staines.
Click here to read for about Miller v Smithson.
Fans love a heavyweight slugfest and Wallsend’s Micky Storey, a winner on his debut at the Summer Rumble tackles Milos Veletic, from Bosnia Herzegovina.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Jason Corbett/ Mindenwood Photography
