No fear. Surely the mantra of Twins Academy who are stepping up to the plate. Again.
Adam Hepple is the man as he prepares to tackle the ex-British and Commonwealth super-middleweight champion Zak Chelli for the vacant English light-heavyweight title at York Hall on Friday, June 27.
It follows Twins team-mate Ali Shah’s unsuccessful tilt at the Commonwealth Youth lightweight belt against Arnie Dawson last weekend at Rainton Meadows, where the Essex boy stopped the Horden fighter inside four rounds.
Previously, Dan English and Billy Wade have accepted Northern Area title shots as underdogs against Sam Menzies and Matt McCallum, though Menzies pulled out of their bantamweight contest.
Jordan Barker Porter last year went to Italy to take on Pamela Sawa for the European Silver crown and is now mandatory challenger for Kirstie Bavington’s European welterweight title.
Having to overturn the odds, therefore, is not a new experience for the Trimdon gym, but Jordan Williams, the leader and inspiration of Twins Academy, is unconcerned.
“It’s a great fight and one we are very confident about,” Williams told punch-lines.
“Adam is a manager’s dream. I said to him ‘this opportunity has come up, do you want it?’.
“There was no hesitation at all, straight away he said ‘yeah, no bother’.
“Adam is at an age where he just wants to test himself and see how far he can go.
“He’s not concerned about losing a couple along the way.”
Indeed, it’s not the first time the 32-year-old, from Seaham, who boasts a 5-2 fight-log, has taken on a major challenge.
He took on Matt McCallum in the summer of 2023 in only his fourth professional fight, stopping the Northern Area champion inside two rounds at Rainton Arena.
Last year he travelled to Oldham to face Reece Farnhill in an English title eliminator, where Adam was stopped in the fourth round in a claret-drenched battle in the Lancashire lad’s backyard.
Bloodied, but unbowed, he was back in Lancashire last November when he challenged Brad ‘The Sting’ Rea for the vacant Commonwealth Silver light-heavyweight title.
It too ended in defeat, with Rea winning in the third, having put Adam down twice at the Hideout in Farnworth.
Chelli has operated at a top level now for a number of years, winning the English super-middle tile in 2022, losing it the following year in Manchester where he was outpointed by late sub Mark Jeffers.
The Londoner bounced back by outpointing Jack Cullen in Liverpool at the start of last year to win the British and Commonwealth belts, only to lose them to Callum Simpson at Oakwell in the August via a unanimous decision.
He has not fought since but, despite that, the Fulham 27-year-old with a record of 15-3-1 (7KOs) will start as favourite across in the Trinity Entertainment Boxing promotion in East London at the end of June.
“I think the Brad Rea fight will stand him in very good stead for this,” explained Williams.
“I believe Brad Rea is a level above Zak Chelli and I just think styles makes fights and it makes it a fight we are very confident about.
“That’s why there was no hesitation.”
Williams believes Chelli is susceptible to leaving an opening, adding tellingly: “Adam can definitely punch.”
Words: Roy Kelly Picture: Tom Collins
