Fight fans are fewer in number these days – most who attend shows now are supporters, friends and family of the individual boxers.
But for those in the North-East who love their boxing they have another treat with a third show inside five weeks when Jobes Boxing promote at Rainton Arena on Saturday, April 19.
Five unbeaten prospects from our region, in alphabetical order, Josh Babb, Nathan Forrest, Owen Rees, Hannah Robinson and Lee Rogers stand at 23-0 and you would be shocked if the evening did not end 28-0.
All five are terrific talents with the ability – and, just as importantly, have tremendous expertise behind them – to go a long, long way in the sport.
Owen Rees will headline as he bids to register his sixth straight success – and his third since joining the Jobes gym – when he takes on Jonatas de Oliveira.
The Brazilian’s record might be lopsided, and growing, at 6-25, but five of those six wins have come via stoppage, so the Newbiggin talent can’t take any liberties.
Owen is a quality act and fresh from outclassing Canning Town southpaw Lee Hallett on the Shamrock show at the same Houghton auditorium, his speed and accuracy earning him a 60-54 shut-out from referee Neil Close.
The ex-Birtley ABC star’s career began in style with stoppage wins against Eastern European opposition on high-profile shows in Newcastle, beating Marius Istrate on Wasserman’s event at the Vertu Motors Arena and Konrad Czajkowsk at the Utilita Arena (Matchroom).
Since then, he has made Rainton Arena his home, not dropping a round in outing Nathan Darby, Cristian Narvaez and Hallett.
Like Rees, Josh Babb was an incredible amateur for Ward Degnan ABC in his hometown of Darlington, and here, like Owen, he too faces South American opposition in Juan Alberto Batista.
Coach Isaac Ward, a former Commonwealth super-bantamweight champion, believes Babb “has the full range of skills” to go all the way.
Babb has won all four fights as a professional, most recently dominating late substitute Stephen Jackson in Shamrock’s headline bout at Rainton last month.
Darlington has another boxer with a glittering amateur background looking to make a major impact as a professional.
Hannah Robinson, a silver medallist at two international competitions in her last year with GB Boxing, is at 2-0 in the pro ranks thanks to a terrific debut win over a very game Johana Rochl at Rainton Arena, followed by a victory over Spain’s Laura Reoya on a Wasserman show at York Hall.
But it’s been all change since for the 31-year-old, who is now being managed by Jamie Sheldon, of One Empire Management, and is being trained again by her old coach Peter Shepperson.
Robinson has left Manchester, where she was coached by Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis, to return home. She hopes to get busy and get winning, telling Fight Post that she is “looking to get at least three more fights in by the end of the year, which would take me to 5-0 and ready to push on for British, Commonwealth, and European titles in 2026.”
Hannah will also face an Argentine fighter in Erica Alvarez, who has been to the North-East previously to take on Georgia O’Connor and April Hunter.
Bishop Auckland’s Nathan Forrest had expected to be in Saudi Arabia this week for the inaugural WBC Grand Prix. His participation appears to fallen through he will be at the Houghton venue, where last year he stopped Kai Richmond to become the Northern Area lightweight champion.
Here the unbeaten Neil Fannan-trained boxer tackles a six-rounder against Sheffield’s Owen Durnan, who fans may recall being involved in a couple of belters in our neck of the woods against Josh Blenkiron and Anth Ornsby over the past year.
There is a four-rounder on Saturday night, when Lee Rogers is matched with Bradford’s Jake Pollard, who is picking up an eighth wage in our region.
Rogers, once of Birtley ABC, now at Dickinsons School of Boxing in Fencehouses, produced the performance of the night at the recent Shamrock gig when he defeated Leonardo Baez.
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Mark Robinson/ Matchroom
