An away fight at home. That is the curious and intriguing assignment awaiting Matt McCallum.
The 34-year-old is to fight under the bright lights in Newcastle on Friday, June 6, when he takes on the unbeaten Niall Brown.
Morpeth’s Toon-based ‘King of the North’ will be in the away corner against one of Wasserman’s whizz-kids, but is eagerly anticipating an appearance on Channel 5 at the Utilita Arena.
Stockport super-middle Brown is the ‘home’ boxer and on the way up having won all 14 of his professional bouts, including on Channel 5’s last visit to Tyneside back in December.
Don’t dare tell McCallum that he is only here to boost the record of his opponent.
“I’m very excited and very, very confident,” the southpaw told punch-lines.
“I know Niall is signed with Wasserman and Channel 5 and they are investing a lot in him. He is good but a very beatable opponent
“This is my back yard – all my support is going to be there and I’m ready to do the business.”
Matt is a two-time Northern Area champion, having added the middleweight belt last November to the super-middle one won in 2022.
That points success over Billy Wade was his last appearance but six months on he is targeting his biggest victory in this eight-rounder.
McCallum acknowledges that Brown has assembled some mighty fine numbers and while his own record of 8-4 does not look as polished, points out how he has been putting his neck on the line for the last three years.
This will be the eighth of his most recent nine fights which have been over eight or 10 rounds.
On the flip side, McCallum will be only the third winning fighter 27-year-old Brown has faced.
He outpointed Pablo Sosa impressively at the Walker Dome, where Boxing News suggested his Spaniard opponent will have ‘been nursing a sore head on Saturday from Brown’s brilliant left which dominated’ while he stopped Czech Patrik Fiala in Middleton at the end of March.
“I have full respect for Niall and his team,” explained McCallum.
“His record of 14 and 0 is very good and he has been managed very well, brought up slowly with four and six rounders.
“This is only his second eight-rounder and I’m the biggest and best opponent he has fought to date.
“He’s not been in with anyone like myself.
“I’ll be putting him under relentless pressure and won’t give him a moment to breathe.
“I’m a seasoned 10-round fighter who won the Northern Area title in only my fourth contest. I only want big fights like these.
“I got into professional boxing quite late and didn’t feel the need for learning fights, I just wanted to push on and see how good I could be.”
McCallum, also known to some as Stark, is more than good. Always honest and engaging outside the ropes and entertaining inside it, he is glad to be nearing the end of the hard yards he has done with trainer Matty Jobes in the Jobes Boxing gym and conditioning coach John Slaughter.
“This has been my 14th pro camp,” said Matt, pictured with the ‘punching priest’ Father Endre Kormas. “I know it’s my 13th fight but trained for another but one opponent pulled out on the scales.
“Don’t get me wrong I’m feeling it some times, but the camp and sparring have gone great. I’m just very excited about the fight.
“I believe it is a genuine 50-50 fight and could be the best on the card.”
Sunderland star Josh Kelly headlines the show against Flavius Biea, from Romania, while a number of top North-East talents are on parade such as Alnwick’s Cyrus Pattinson, Ben Marksby from Darlington, Gateshead’s Dan Toward and Lee Rogers, from Newcastle.
Words: Roy Kelly
