Middlesbrough has a new boxing champion, a champion to celebrate, salute and love. And support.
Jade Pearce’s family, friends and fans lapped up every minute of the 29-year-old’s glory at Eston Leisure Centre where she was crowned Commonwealth super-featherweight champion.
Her support cheered every attack, and there were many, as she dominated Kirsty Hill to clinch a unanimous points decision from Ron Kearney (100-90), Danny McFarlane (99-92), and Dean Wilson (98-92).
Pearce became Boro’s first major professional champ since Paul Truscott was the Commonwealth featherweight champ in 2009.
And Punch-lines hopes that this great boxing town gets behind this incredible talent in even bigger numbers.
Having emulated her dad in becoming a champion of the the Commonwealth (John struck gold at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, defeating India’s Jitender Kumar in the final), bigger nights are surely on the horizon.
We urge Middlesbrough – and all TS postcodes – to support one of their own. She deserves it.
Jade has a fan-friendly style with her relentless approach. In fact, you might say she is a very typical Pearce.
The boxer, who trains under the guidance of JP Snr at the Wellington ABC gym, never gave Hill a moment’s peace.
It was evident before James Holborn rang the first bell that this Commonwealth belt was vacant though your punch-lines reporter can’t recall that it was ever publicised.
Hill had been the previous champion and she showed champion spirit in Middlesbrough.
Her defence was outstanding and it had to be given the wave after wave of aggression brought by the ‘The Problem’.
Indeed, Kirsty took many of the home shots on her arms or gloves which protected her head and when she let her own hands go she landed a number of scoring punches.
But the fact was she simply did not or, more tellingly, could not throw enough to change the tide of the bout such was the Boro pressure that was piled on.
Hill did her team, Cleethorpes, her home city of York and herself proud but the night belonged to Pearce who refused to take a backward step.
Boro have a champion to be proud of and how nice it would be to see more fans on the journey.
On the subject of champions and TS postcodes, how good was it to see Bobby Dalton back inside the square ring.
The 27-year-old, from down the A66 in Redcar, was back in the winner’s enclosure after losing his English welterweight title to Joel Kodua in November.
England v Argentina conflicts rarely disappoint and while Dalton’s 60-54 six-round shut-out of Eze Gregores was not pretty it had you gripped from beginning to end.
Gregory’s came to spoil and spoiled successfully, with Bobby looking his best in the fourth and fifth.
It made it a winning debut for Dalton for the Twins gym and new trainer Jordan Williams.
The in-form Trimdon coach won twice on the night at an entertaining Shamrock promotion.
Victory number one was provided by former Redcar ABC star Ben Jarvis, who impressed on his pro debut by outpointing Edgars Sniedze.
The southpaw, who had not boxed for seven years, when he was a Senior England Championship finalist, picked his shots nicely against the Latvian.
Referee Wilson scored it 40-36.
Darlington’s Sophia Maycroft also had European opposition on her debut, beating Sara Orszagi, from Hungary, over six rounds.
A team-mate of recent Commonwealth Silver champion, Hannah Robinson, the Pete Shepperson flyweight breezed through the first four rounds.
Országi took a competitive fifth, but top marks to Sophia who restored her jab in the last session and landed a couple of overhand rights to get a 59-55 decision from Mr McFarlane.
Kevin Richardson was the third debutant to climb through the ropes and the teenager produced a highly-accomplished performance on Saturday night, when he outpointed Fonz Alexander.
Newark’s heavily-tatood and vastly experienced campaigner is not a man to take liberties with and Richardson dealt with him expertly, with his dominant display bringing him a 40-36 scoreline from Mr McFarlane.
It made it a memorable night for legendary Hartlepool fight figure Neil Fannan, who is training him with the assistance of New Welfare ABC head coach Andrew Close.
Sunderland’s ‘Birdman of Ryhope’, Aaron Peter Bird flew to his fifth straight pro success with a 59-56 points decision against Mexico’s Mario Valenzuela, Mr Wilson marking it 59-56.
It was the 21-year-old’s first six-rounder and hopefully after a couple more we’ll see him moving towards the title arena.
A Shamrock show is not a Shamrock show without an Irish tricolour in the building.
It was short and sweet for Bray’s Sean Tyndall who needed only 36 seconds to knock out Dylan Nixon in an Ireland v Scotland international.
Words: Roy Kelly
