TENSIONS RISE BETWEEN DANNY WALL AND STEVE COOPER AHEAD OF THEIR TITLE FIGHT

Fighting Chance bring their third professional boxing show with Invincible on October 8^th at Ashington Leisure Centre and tensions were clearly visible at yesterday's press conference. 

Promoter Lewis Pendleton started proceedings with the usual introductions however when he passed over to the fighters Morpeth's Danny Wall predicted a stoppage in the mid rounds against Darlington's Steve Cooper in the headline fight.

It's not unusual for a boxer to believe he is going to win but although Wall acknowledged that Cooper would have different ideas of how the fight will go, Cooper's trainer Mike Hall responded directly to Wall about his prediction, promising that his man will be more than ready on the night and hinting that Wall wasn't showing Cooper the respect he deserved. Tensions began to rise and although Wall confirmed that he does give full respect to Cooper, it was clear to see that this one has definitely gone up a notch and promises to be a great match up over 8 rounds for the vacant British Challenge Belt.

Invincible will also feature the much anticipated rematch between Gateshead's Tom Whitfield and Hartlepool's Daniel Cope as they battle for the Northern Area welterweight title over 10 rounds. Whitfield edged their previous encounter 58-57 in March 2015 with both men having a 2-0 record at the time. Whitfield remains unbeaten and Cope will no doubt be looking to gain revenge over the only man to beat him in the pro ranks.

The show also has a host of the region's top talent at different stages of their career including Tommy Ward, Lewis Ritson, Darren Surtees, Jay Hughes, Basi Razaq, Henry Thomas and Fighting ChancfChance's heavyweight prospect Jone TK Volau.

Credits: Phil Lindsay (author), Andy Wilkinson - HitHard News/WEDOO Media (poster design)

FIGHTING CHANCE AND LEE MOULD PEN PARTNERSHIP

Fighting Chance are proud to unveil the signing of Lee Mould on a promotional contract.

Having boxed on the last two Fighting Chance shows, most recently stopping Dwayne Sheldon within three rounds, Mould will fight exclusively for Fighting Chance Promotions whilst maintaining his current manager/trainer set-up with Mal Gates.

As a fighter, the ‘Mackem Mexican’ is exactly the type of signing any promotion would crave - an aggressive and exciting fighter who fought for the English Welterweight title in only his 9th professional bout. 

However inactivity has hindered the Sunderland-born boxer, and although he is regaining momentum with two fights in six months on Fighting Chance shows, Mould only fought once in 2014. Be it down to opponents dropping out or an inability to find game opposition, this proved to be an extremely frustrating time in Moulds career.

In singing with Fighting Chance Lee Mould will find this consistency. With a bulk of talent training at the Fighting Chance gym, and promotional contracts being an avenue Fighting Chance absolutely wish to go down, the promotion have the kind of stable which warrants a packed rota of shows. It was this regularity in bouts which led to Mould and his team singing with Fighting Chance, and the boxer himself was quick to outline his future plans within the partnership.

‘The short term plans are that we get out on December 3rd on the Fighting Chance show. Long term - if we can get a British, English or Commonwealth belt with Fighting Chance, that’s our long term plan.’

The fact that Lee Mould already has a date set for his next bout - a show which his new promoter hinted could be a lot closer to home for Mould, clearly shows how Fighting Chance aim to keep the former English title challenger both hungry and busy. One man that shares this ambition is Moulds trainer and manager Mal Gates, who feels this is the right move for the boxer at the right time in his career.

‘At this stage this is the right step for Lee Moulds; we need to put structure to Lee’s career.

We need to move him forward - he’s stagnated too long’.

Providing structure is one promise Fighting Chance promoter Lewis Pendleton can make. With the promotion already showing this year they have the ability to consistently put on talent-packed shows, Pendleton believes that the promotional signing will not only benefit Lee Mould, but can be advantageous to the North East boxing scene as a whole.

‘Lee Mould is a very exciting and well established fighter in the region and it’s great to have him on a promotional contract working alongside Mal Gates as his manager.

This is the first hopefully of many promotional signings.

We want to work with everybody - for me the North East only grows if we work together.’

This desire for the regions scene to succeed is one which has been echoed many times by Fighting Chance. The explosion in talent and exposure within the North West region is clear proof that for a region to succeed, promotions and managers must work together, rather than against each other.

A key factor behind the success of any fighter, promotion and ultimately region is publicity, and Fighting Chance provide this perfectly in their partnership with the TV channel ‘Made in Tyne and Wear’. The opportunity to allow Lee Mould to fight in front of a vastly wider audience was one Moulds’ management team could not let slip.

‘This is the umbrella we need to be under for Lee - he should be fighting for titles, he’s a ‘TV’ fighter, he’s an exciting fighter and with Lewis we’re going to get more structure to his career.

Lee needs meaningful fights.’

The partnership between Lee Mould and Fighting Chance benefits both parties; Fighting Chance have an exciting and ambitious fighter who will be looking to make a strong statement within the next year, whilst Mould and his team finally get the consistency in bouts, and structure to his career, that he so rightly deserves. Moulds feelings towards the relationship were summed up in a suitably simple manner.

‘Boxing is my life - if I’m fighting, I’m happy.’

 Credits: Declan Bell (author), peepmagazine (photography)

FIGHTING CHANCE HOST INVINCIBLE 8th OCTOBER

The bill entitled Invincible now at the brand new £29m state of the art Ashington Leisure centre has quickly become one of the strongest bills in recent times with the regions top talent all wanting to feature on this outstanding night of professional boxing.

The last time proffesional boxing was in Ashington was 70 years ago in 1936 at the Princess Ballroom when the likes of  Ted Cullen, Douglas Parker and Harry Best all featured. Fighting Chance are delighted to bring professional boxing back to Northumberland.

Headlining the bill is Danny Wall from Pegswood against Ashington born Darlington based Steve Cooper in an intriguing match up for the Super a middleweight British Challenge belt.

Boxing for the northern area welterweight title is Birtleys Tom Whitfield who trains out of Mal Gates gym in South Shields. Tom will face Daniel Cope of Hartlepool who has recently changed his own training set up and is now trained by Neil Fannon. This promises to be an explosive contest and is a rematch of the first fight which saw Tom Whitfield win by a single  point.

Also featuring on the bill in a 6 round contest is Lewis Ritson the WBC world youth champion, who has quickly chalked up 10 wins. Lewis has now returned to Forest Hall and trains with his dad Davy Ritson who guided him to an ABA final in his Amateur career.

TK Jone Volou looks to continue his impressive start to professional boxing and has his sights firmly set on winning a title in 2016. TK will be looking to step up once again  and will look to make another statement in this fight.

Peter Cope the older brother of Daniel will feature on the bill. Peter won the British challenge belt in his last outing on a Fighting Chance show. Peter will be looking to keep busy in a 4 round contest before he steps up again at the end of the year.

Newcastle's Basi Razaq will feature in his first 6 round contest. Basi who is trained by Joe Bivona and managed by Mark Clauzel will bring his all action style into an evenly matched contest against Dwayne Sheldon, who boasts two stoppages to his record.

The exciting east Durham prospect Jay Hughes will be looking to make up for lost time, boxing in his second contest following his Stadium Of Light debut Jay will look to deliver another disciplined performance.

Another of Dave Binns fighters is Darren Surtees (Richardson). Also from the East Durham Gym, Darren will look to continue his outstanding early form in the professional ranks  and follow up his last stoppage win with another fine performance.

Henry Thomas the only british boxer to win the Golden Gloves national title in the USA will make his second appearance as he continue his crossover from amateur to professional boxing. Training in York but originally from Darlington Henry has an outstanding amateur pedigree and is a welcome addition to the bill.

Lewis Pendleton Promotor said " Invincible has proven to be a somewhat popular bill, we haven't been able to accommodate every fighter that wanted to appear on the bill such is the strength and depth of North East boxing. We are delighted with the calibre of the card with some outstanding boxers and genuine live contests that will excite the fans. We are delighted to bring boxing to different areas as we look to expand into Durham, Newcastle/Gateshead and now Northumberland"

Fighting Chance promotions would like to thank our Broadcast partner Made Televison, Portland Consulting Engineers, Hit Hard news and Drone Signs.

There are less than 40 unreserved tickets available, ringside and VIP are sold out. Remaining tickets can only be purchased from our online box office.

http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/fighting-chance-promotions-10706390769

INVINCIBLE DATE CHANGE

Fighting chance promotions today announce that due to circumstances beyond their control the scheduled event at Morpeth Leisure centre has now changed to 8th October. 

Whilst this has been frustrating Fighting Chance would like to thank Active Northumberland for their support and working with us to find a solution. 

We now look forward to putting on a fantastic event at the brand new Ashington Leisure Centre on Saturday 8th October. The bill remains the same with all tickets that were sold for Morpeth September 24 being transferred to the new date and venue. 

Lorraine Dewison Chief Executive of  Active Northumberland said "sadly we had no option but to postpone the event that was scheduled to be staged at Riverside Leisure Centre on Saturday 24th September.  It became apparent at quite a late stage in the process, that there was an issue with the licence to host a boxing event at Morpeth.   A licence to host the event  could not be resolved within the timescales available, despite the best efforts of all involved. The site is still committed to host the "Invincible" show at a later date and we look forward to welcoming the promoters, fans and fighters to Morpeth at that time"

Fighting Chance promotions would like to thank Active Northumberland for their support, in dealing with the licencing issue and helping to bring about a resolution quickly.  In fact the change of venue to the new Ashington Leisure Centre, a newly opened state of the art £21million pound development is a fantastic offer.  It  is a great opportunity for us to bring a boxing event of this size to Ashington with the option of hosting yet  another event at Morpeth in the next few months.  

Fighting Chance are proud to deliver a  fantastic night of championship professional boxing featuring two title fights headlined by Danny Wall from Pegawood v Ste Cooper of Darlington and Tom Whitfield of Birtley v Daniel Cope of Hartlepool. The bill also features a host a top north East talent.

MEXICAN MACKEM MARCHES FORWARD

To say his career of recent has been frustrating would be a gross understatement, however former English title challenger Moulds believes his next bout is the perfect springboard back to fighting at domestic level.

No one understands this frustration more than Moulds’ trainer Mal Gates. Having secured a bout with local rival Trevor Crewe for the Welterweight British Challenge Belt, Gates found the fight being cancelled for a 2nd time due to a persistent hand injury to Crewe’s. Attempting to rescue the bout by finding another local fighter, the South Shields based coach was unable to find a boxer willing to take on the dangerous Moulds.

“It’s been well noted that Lee’s had a few frustrations with fights not coming off, that’s boxing.

We are gutted but Lee remains focused. We stay positive”.

 

Although annoyed by the inactivity of his young talent, the experienced trainer understands the importance of momentum within the game and was quick to get the Sunderland fighter back in the ring. 

“I feel at this stage of his career it’s important to keep Lee busy.

(We’re) looking to get a good six rounds under our belt and to show the good work Lee has put in at the gym”.

The ‘Mackem Mexican’ will aim to display the same skills and composure which earned him a Northern Area title beating Craig Dixon. In facing  Dwayne Sheldon over 6 rounds shows his intention of keeping busy against tough opposition.

Sheldon has won his last 2 bouts against up-and-coming prospects, including the previously unbeaten Neil Parry at York Hall. Sheldons manager Naji Al Harbi appreciates Moulds exciting fighting style, and believes Sheldon is ready for a war.

“Dwayne Sheldon is up for the challenge.

Lee Mould is a real throwback fighter - never taking a backward step. It will be a very good fight”.

The 26 year-old Mould will not be phased by Sheldons recent form however. In Mal Gates Lee has everything he needs to progress and fufill his ambitions, the “Mackem Mexican’ shares the gym with some of the regions standout boxers. 

Team mate Anthony Nelson’s last fight was nominated as ‘Fight of the Year’, and saw Nelson battle it out for the Commonwealth Title against the highly tipped Jamie Conlan. 

Another stablemate of Moulds is the unbeaten Tom Whitfield, who looks to try and challenge for Nelsons ‘Fight of the Year’ honours against Dan Cope on the Fighting Chance 'Invincible' show in Morpeth on September 24th.

Mal Gates’ gym appears to be somewhat of a breading ground for young talent, and training daily with such talent will only every increase Lee Moulds’ ability, and desire, to challenge again for a domestic title.

It’s clear to all that watch Moulds fight that he has the talent, and with his next bout being his 11th professional fight he is quickly picking up the experience within the ring. Now with Fighting Chance planning on keeping him busy with the challenging bouts he deserves it’s only a matter of time before the Sunderland brawler is once again competing for a major title.

Tickets for #Legend are available from the fighters or from our online box office https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/legend-a-night-of-professional-boxing-hosted-by-fighting-chance-tickets-26721878859

BOOM BOOM LOOKING TO MAKE A STATEMENT

‘Boom Boom’ Jones is out to impress in his 3rd professional fight and doesn’t plan on leaving it to the judges.

Having held numerous belts in the North East’s best MMA promotions, coupled with an extensive amateur boxing background and an unbeaten professional boxing record, it’s easy to forget that Leam Lane’s ‘Boom Boom’ Jones is only 26 years old.

This vast experience was apparent in Jones’ first two professional boxing bouts under Fighting Chance, with the boxer keeping composed throughout, picking his shots perfectly and earning two comfortable and impressive victories over much more experienced opponents. 

Hailing from Gateshead and spending much of his amateur career at Leam Lane ABC and Birtley Boxing Club, Jamie Jones looks to continue his fine form against the London-born Scott Hillman.

Hillman has never been stopped in his professional career, and you’d be wrong to assume that this is down to his choice of opponent. Another one of Fighting Chances unbeaten prospects Danny Wall met a tough Hillman in his debut, and although came away with the win, it was only after a hard-fought battle.

Jones however believes his ever popular aggressive fighting style will be the difference against Hillman. Jones’ debut against Aaron Robinson showed a boxer not scared to control the tempo of the fight, and although ‘Boom Boom’ didn’t get the stoppage, his offensive style and control of the ring meant the end of the fight never looked too far away. 

Two fights in and with Jones rapidly finding his feet in the pro-ranks, the Gateshead local feels now is his time. He will be looking not only to overpower Hillman throughout the bout, but to get the first stoppage of his professional career and begin his march towards local rivalries and area titles.

Tickets for #Legend are available from the boxers or from our online box office 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/legend-a-night-of-professional-boxing-hosted-by-fighting-chance-tickets-26721878859

MR DYNAMITE LOOKS TO MAKE IT 5-0

With a perfect start to his professional career, White enters his milestone 5th fight with nothing but confidence having found his feet quickly within the professional game.

This seamless switch from the amateur ranks was shown clearly in his last fight - a dominant victory over a 54 fight veteran who only 2 fights before had shared the ring with top domestic prospect Kid Galahad. ‘Whitey’ reflected on his last bout in a recent interview with HitHard News.

“My last fight was always going to be a hard one - my opponent had 50+ fights and had been in with top names. Looking back on it I’m very proud of my performance. (I) boxed really well, did what I had to do, won all 4 rounds - the business was done.”

The Birtley standout has never been the kind to take the easy route, and this is reflected in White’s choice for his next opponent - the ever resilient Qasim Hussain, who in almost 70 professional fights has only been stopped once.

White believes the key to victory lies within his style - and with a nickname like “Mr Dynamite’ it’s no surprise he describes his boxing as ‘come forward-aggresive’. Although a very exciting style, ‘Whitey’ appreciates that it’s the training he receives at the Fighting Chance gym which helps him exhibit his techniques in a more composed manner.

“I’m very grateful for what Fighting Chance have given me; they’ve gave me a great platform to be the very best I can. I’m very confident I can deliver and make them proud.

“I’ve got great coaches in Ronnie Rowe & Gary Barr. They’ve got all the experience - they’ll get the best out of me.”

White’s 5th bout appears on an especially important night - an evening to honour the career of highly decorated stablemate Jon-Lewis Dickinson. Both an idol and a friend, Dickinson’s departure leaves a gap within the promotion for a standout fighter - and with an unbeaten record and a strong amateur background, White looks to be the perfect candidate for this role.

With 4 wins from 4 fights, Mark White is beginning to earn a reputation on a local level - and he has no plans on stopping there. Although mature enough to not look past the opponent in front of him, White has his sights set firmly on a promising future.

“Future plans are just to keep getting the fights and keep moving forward, getting better each time. The area title is something we’ll be looking at.

I want to be in big fights on the biggest stages, I want titles.”

 

As always, both Fighting Chance Promotions and Mark himselfwould like to thank The Hanlon pub in Birtley for their continued support and sponsorship, a key factor in helping Mark fulfil his potential inside the ring.

Tickets for #Legegnd are available from the boxers or through our online box office https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/legend-a-night-of-professional-boxing-hosted-by-fighting-chance-tickets-26721878859

DANNY WALL TO FACE STEVE COOPER FOR SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT BRITISH CHALLENGE BELT IN MORPETH ON SEPTEMBER 24th

On Saturday 24th September, headlining the show will be Northumberland’s Danny Wall as he faces Durham’s Steve Cooper in a local derby at the Morpeth Riverside Leisure Centre; as the pair battle it out for the British Super Middleweight Challenge Belt. This will be on the show entitled ‘Invincible’ which is hosted by Fighting Chance Promotions and televised by Made Television across their networks of Made in Tyne & Wear, Made in Leeds, Made in Bristol and Made in Cardiff. 

Following his first round stoppage win against Alireza Alimohammadi at the Stadium of Light, Pegswood’s Danny Wall is returning to his county of Northumberland for his first title fight in just his fourth professional outing. Wall’s opponent, Darlington’s Steve Cooper, is by far the toughest test of Wall’s career so far as this promises to be a 50/50 match up. Fighting Chance promoter, Lewis Pendleton, was delighted to find a very credible opponent for Wall: “I am delighted that we found the right type of fight for Danny. We worked closely with Tommy Conroy to offer Danny the fight. It was important that we found the right fight at the right time and this matchup is perfect for both lads. Steve Cooper made his debut on the show we ran with Dennis Hobson and so it is fitting that he gets a title opportunity on our show”.

There is a second title fight on the night as Birtley’s Tom Whitfield takes on Hartlepool’s Daniel Cope in their eagerly anticipated rematch. Whitfield got the decision when these two first faced each other over 6 rounds, but there is more at stake in this rematch with the Northern Area Welterweight Title on the line. Having two 50/50 local derby title fights on the same night ensures it will be cracking night of boxing giving the local fans plenty of value for money. 

As well as the two title fights, there will be a whole host of North East boxing talent on the undercard. Firstly, Newcastle’s Lewis Ritson will be in action in his 11th professional contest. After beating Hungarian Bence Molnar to win the WBC Youth World Championship, Ritson is looking to add more major titles to his trophy cabinet and hopes to put on another impressive display on the 24th of September. Also on the bill will be the two highly rated Fighting Chance prospects TK Jone Volau and Jamie Humble. Humble was very impressive in his professional debut back in June when he became the first man ever to secure a stoppage win over the very tough and durable Irishman Ben Mulligan. Fijian Heavyweight TK Jone Volau has had an equally impressive start to his pro career this three good wins under his belt. Additionally, Basi Razaq will be making a big step up in as he boxes his first six rounder in order to get himself into Area title contention. Finally, Durham’s Darren Richardson, Jay Hughes and Peter Cope will all be boxing on the show over four rounds.

‘Invincible’ is the second professional boxing show hosted by Fighting Chance Promotions in the space of eight days. Fighting Chance are pushing boundaries and breaking new ground by becoming the first North East promoter to put on two shows in back-to-back weekends. On Friday 16th of September, Fighting Chance will be hosting ‘Legend’ – a night of professional boxing and celebration for local hero Jon-Lewis Dickinson. Dickinson has recently announced his retirement from the sport after a stellar career which saw him become Prizefighter champion, Northern Area champion, English champion, British champion and Lonsdale belt holder, and finally WBC International Cruiserweight champion. It would be great to see as many people as possible turn up to this event to show their support for the fantastic career of Jon-Lewis Dickinson as we celebrate his career and retirement. 

Tickets for both of Fighting Chance’s September shows can be bought from our official Eventbrite webpage:

https://fightingchancelegend.eventbrite.co.uk

https://fightingchanceinvincible.eventbrite.co.uk