Thomas Hodgson, king of England. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it for the man who rules NE29.
Many boxing eyes will be on the capital this weekend when the sport returns to a famous West London venue, with the Royal Albert Hall the venue for Friday night’s Battle of Britain between Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price.
But the focus of punch-lines is in the East End of our capital where unbeaten North Shields star Hodgson and Londoner Youssef Khoumari square up for the vacant English lightweight title at the famous York Hall on Saturday night.
It is the chance for ‘The Hitman’ to climb the ladder after becoming the Northern Area champion last year at light-welterweight, or super-lightweight if that is your preference.
Hodgson stands with a proud 10-0 record under coaches Dean Laing and Ross Wilkinson, having previously enjoyed an excellent amateur career with Birtley ABC, where two of his old club-mates and international comrades Mark Dickinson and Pat McCormack are also pushing for domestic titles.
He can beat them to the punch here, so to speak.
“I’m ready to push on and I want a meaningful fight that’ll put me in a really good position moving forward,” Hodgson said in an interview with The Counterpunch.
“As soon as the fight was confirmed I said to Dean this can put me in a good position moving forward. It’s a fight I wanted and I’m just ready to get in the ring now.”
Saturday’s London v Newcastle showdown would certainly be classed as meaningful.
Hodgson’s pedigree is top drawer and has begun professional life with a perfect 10 out of 10.
His rival at Bethnal Green is also 28, but has had double the fights of Hodgson, having boxed 20 times, and pretty much has done double the rounds, 111-58.
But is he twice the fighter? We will get an answer on Saturday night. His record of 17-2-1 is a very fair one with seven of his wins coming early, including his last victory an eighth-round stoppage of Kirk Stevens at York Hall 12 months ago.
He has lost just twice, outpointed by America’s Jorge Castaneda over 10 rounds for the WBC International super-featherweight title at the 02 in October 2021, and by a couple of points to Reece Bellotti in a British title eliminator in June 2023, also at super-feather.
Hodgson is the more active of the two. In the time since the Wembley 28-year-old stopped Stevens, Thomas has beaten Jordan Ellison last May to become Northern Area champion and defeated India’s Lovepreet over six last July.
That hard-earned 98-94 decision over Ellison at Rainton Arena was a pivotal moment for ‘The Hitman’. Having won his previous eight bouts with ease, he was forced to work for his title, while he impressed at the start and end of his victory over Lovepreet, less so in the middle.
Given all the above, you’d imagine the Tyneside ABC-based boxer would be the better-prepared of the combatants at the York Hall but, even so, he knows he needs to show that on the night if he is to get the better of the man in the home corner.
Click here for the full and comprehensive interview between The Counterpunch and Hodgson.
“To be honest, I haven’t watched him,” said the boxer managed by Jamie Sheldon at One Empire Management.
“I’ll show no respect, I’m fighting him down his way at York Hall, and I want to stamp my authority from the off and show I’m the boss.”
Words: Roy Kelly
