UNDEFEATED TRIO TO BOX ON THE 17th

 Jone Volau, Jamie Humble and Kyle Redfearn will all be looking to extend their perfect professional records in front of the Boxnation cameras at Newcastle Race Course on Saturday the 17^th.

In another example of Fighting Chance building relationships with other promotions, the three prospects will box on the final show of the year for the North East promoted by the Lancashire based Pat Barrat.

4-0 as a professional, and holding a 2nd round KO on his record, Jone Volau will box for the 4^th time this year and strongly believes that this constancy is exactly what he needs at this point in his career.

‘Four or five fights a year is good for me’ said Volau. 

‘Keeping busy will get me up the ranks quicker.

‘A Northern area title would be perfect for my second fight next year or third fight and then move on.

‘(I’m) aiming for English and British titles, we’ll see where it takes me’.

The Fijian born boxer has placed particular focus on his strength and conditioning ahead of his 5th professional bout, losing a stone after his unanimous decision victory against 2012 Olympian Christian Adjoufack.

‘I was more than 17 stone in the last fight’ said Volau.

‘I was struggling a bit and I had too much weight on me.

‘But now I’ve lost a stone, it’s going to be a totally different TK in the ring’.

Fighting Chance stablemate Jamie Humble is also looking for an impressive finish to the year. 

After making a grand entrance on his professional debut back in June - stopping the more experienced Ben Mulligan inside 2 rounds, injury has delayed the Tynesider’s progression.

‘I fractured my rib so I've had a bit of time off” explained Humble.

‘It’s about two month I've had off in total so in that time I was resting.

‘But since I've been back to training its been pretty much straight on.’

Humble is aiming for a more mature display on the 17th, and with his coach Gary Barr has worked on patience in the ring and precision with his shots for his 2nd bout.

‘I’ll probably try to look for cleaner shots rather than a burst of shots.

‘I thought I was just looking for power shots (in his last fight)’.

Despite the setback, the Birtley standout has high hopes for 2017, and although appreciates the need to get rounds under his belt, is aiming for title contention by the end of next year.

‘I want to fast track my career as quick as I can’

‘Pushing onto the end of next year I should hopefully be looking for area titles’.

Following an almost identical path to Humble so far is the County Durham native Kyle Redfearn.

Also impressing on his debut - a three round demolition of Scott Aitken in June, Kyle Redfearn hasn’t fought since and will be looking to build some much deserved momentum in time for 2017.

Although not competing since June, Redfearn certainly hasn’t been slacking when it comes to training. As well as working with Gary Barr and Ronnie Rowe at the Fighting Chance gym, the Ferryhill man has focused on enhancing his cardio and conditioning at Spartan Performance in Consett ahead of his 2nd bout.

This holistic approach to training, which most boxers neglect at this level, is accompanied by an extensive Mixed Martial Arts background. Redfearn had 16 professional MMA fights, and fought on the biggest promotions in Europe including BAMMA and Cage Warriors. 

The experience gained in MMA will inevitably pay dividends when fighting more experienced opponents, and places Kyle Redfearn firmly on the ‘Ones to Watch’ list for 2017.

Kyle Redfearn, Jone Volau and Jamie Humble will box on Saturday the 17th December at Newcastle Race Course, with the card being shown on the Boxnation television channel.

AUTHOR: Declan Bell

RITSON AND SURTEES IMPRESS ON END OF YEAR SHOW

Christmas came early for those in attendance on Saturday night as the two title bouts took the limelight on a lively evening at Rainton Meadows Arena.

Lewis Ritson and Jordan Ellison engaged in a seven round war for the Northern Area lightweight belt, whilst Darren Surtees put on a boxing clinic against Luke Keheler in a International Classic Challenge title bout.

Surtees was fighting for a title in only his 5th professional bout and came into the fight full of confidence following an impressive unanimous decision victory against Marek Laskowski in October, as well as holding a 50% knockout rate in the pro-ranks.

Keheler was the man with the experience however, having had twice as many fights as the Thornily prospect, and although had battled against a number of tough opponents, the Yorkshireman had never been stopped as a professional.

The fight began in frantic fashion with both fighters exchanging from the off; Surtees concentrated on the more precise straight shots, whilst Keheler chose to come out swinging with his chin down.

It was the County Durham man who connected cleanly first, a sharp one-two catching his opponent sweetly and sending him to the canvas. Noticeably wobbled, Keheler made it up on the count of four but with his legs still looking unsteady Surtees immediately pounced.

With a flurry of shots Surtees connected again, this time with a devastating left hook, sending Keheler to the canvas for the second time. The proud Yorkshireman again rose to his feet, and after having a think the referee let the fight continue.

However the contest was all but decided, and after a final wave of powerful punches from Surtees the referee stopped the bout at the 1 minute 29 mark of the first round, with Surtees capping off an impressive 2016 by capturing his first title.

Looking to add to his existing WBC Youth Silver lightweight honour, undefeated Lewis Ritson was aiming to make it 12 wins from 12 bouts against former foe and fellow North East boxer Jordan Ellison in the evenings main event.

In their last encounter Ritson walked away with a points victory, and since then both mens career’s have taken slightly different routes - Tyneside’s Ritson winning every fight since whilst Seahams Ellison has struggled to find consistency as a pro.

It was the Wearside boxer who was coming off the more impressive victory however, with a sterling win against the undefeated Scot Thomas Dickson at the end of October.

The first round saw both fighters exchange straight shots, however it was Ritson who was first to assert his dominance; doubling up his jabs and maintaining a tight guard to take the centre of the ring.

In the opening rounds the undefeated Tynesider continuously marched Ellison to the corner, working up top and unloading to the body with spiteful hooks. Ritsons short uppercut on the inside did noticeable damage to the left eye of Ellison, mixing work in the clinch with long straights at range.

Although struggling with the constant pressure from his opponent, Ellison showed flashes of potential in the opening stanzas. Catching Ritson with a beautifully timed left hook in the 2nd, and dragging his opponent into a brawl in the 3rd, Ellison made sure Ritson wasn't having it all his own way and had the better of the exchanges in the 4th round.

Ellison started the 5th round the aggressor, landing a sharp three-punch combination which Ritson appeared to take in his stride. Although still on the back-foot, the Wearside boxer was the busier of the two and with the momentum being carried into the start of the 6th Ellison looked to be plotting a comeback. 

However Ritson had other ideas, and after marching his Ellison into a corner unleashed a lethal body shot which immediately dropped his rival. Although still visibly hurt, Ellison regained his stature ready for the inevitable onslaught from Ritson.

Targeting solely the body on the restart, Ritson appeared to cripple his adversary again however the referee decided not to issue the count. With his corner urging him to initiate the clinch, Ellison survived until the bell.

But Ellison's bravery could only last so long, and with Ritson continuing the constant pressure he had illustrated throughout the fight he again worked the body, this time forcing his opponent to go down and stay down. 

After receiving medical attention, Ellison was able to join Ritson in the centre of the ring as the crowd showed their appreciation for a tremendously entertaining fight. Ritson closed the evenings show by raising the Northern Area title, with the expectations firmly on the Forest Hall man to make a statement in 2017.

Other fighters on the card who are hoping for a big year next year included Jay Hughes and Issac Macleod. 

Hughes continued a perfect start to his career with a decision win against a tough Youssef Al Hamidi. Utilising his obvious reach advantage Hughes kept his opponent at a distance with straight shots and good footwork, however was unable to break down the tight guard of Al Hamidi who posed little danger to Hughes with sporadic, wayward hooks.

Macleod came up against an entirely different type of foe in Ryan Hardy. Hardy goaded and danced his way around the ring for 6 rounds, and although entertaining for the fans, was picked apart well by a patient Macleod. Making it 7 wins and 0 defeats, the Sunderland boxer will be looking to step up next year and make his move on the domestic scene. 

Completing the card at Rainton Meadow Arena were local fighters Gary Fox and Peter Cope.

Fighting for the second time this year was Peter Cope. Up against the much experienced Fonz Alexander fighting in his 50th bout, Cope fought at range and utilised a strong jab throughout. 

Being weary not to engage unnecessarily, Cope boxed smart with left right combinations, and appeared to stumble Alexander in the 2nd with a precisely placed hook. After four rounds Cope came away with the points victory and will concentrate on keeping busy next year, with the aim of working his way back up to English title contention.

All in all a good show with two title fights. Something Fighting chance will seek to continue in 2017, more 50/50 fights and more title oppprtunities for North East boxers.   

AUTHOR: Declan Bell

REDFEARN TO BATTLE NEYLON ON DARLINGTON CARD

Kyle Redfearn will have his eyes firmly set on making it two professionals wins out of two when he meets Andy Neylon in Darlington on November 26th.

Following his impressive professional debut -  a 3rd round TKO of Scott Aitken, Redfearn will be keen to build momentum going into the new year and finish 2016 with another stand-out performance.

The County Durham boxer took a similar path as Fighting Chance stable mate Jamie Jones and has made a somewhat seamless transition from MMA to boxing. Redfearn has brought over the aggressive, toe-to-toe style which served him so well in his previous discipline - every one of his MMA wins coming inside the distance, and with the help of his trainers has adapted it perfectly to fit the professional boxing game.

As like any fighter with Redfearn’s calibre and experience within combat sports, the Ferryhill local will be eager to maintain his finishing record, aiming for a quick disposal of his opponent. By the same token however, gaining some valuable rounds under his belt at this early stage in his career could benefit him a lot more when he steps up to the 8 and 10 rounders. Either way, Redfearn will be aiming to put on the kind of performance that will force his team to look for the bigger, more meaningful fights come next year.

Pitted against an exciting up and comer isn't something alien to Andy Neylon however, having convincingly defeated Yorkshire prospect Joel Palmer at Brammel Lane. Palmer was supposed to use this fight as an explosive introduction to the scene, but instead found himself cut above the eye in the 3rd round and on the canvas in the fourth leaving Neylon to walk away with a comfortable decision win. 

Although one could argue that the hostility of a crowd who will be primarily Team Redfearn may get to the boxer from Hull, the fact that he put in a resilient performance on the Crolla v Linares undercard at the Manchester Arena in front of a heavily partizan crowd would very much contradict that theory.

With power in both hands, composure in the ring and a come-forward style, Kyle Redfearn clearly has all the credentials of a solid prospect, and with a win over a robust and much more experienced boxer in Andy Neylon on December 3rd, Redfearn will firmly cement his place on the ‘one to watch’ list for 2017.

Kyle Redfearn joins a packed card in Darlington which includes the unbeaten Jeff Saunders and local favourite Neil Hepper. Promoted by Steve Wraiths ‘Pro-Boxing’ promotion, the show will take place at the Dolphin Centre in Darlington on Saturday the 26th November.

AUTHOR: Declan Bell

DARREN SURTEES TO BOX FOR THE BRITISH CHALLENGE BELT

Phil Jefferies and Fighting Chance are excited to announce that Darren Surtees will box Luke Keleher for the British Challenge title at Rainton Meadows Arena on December 3rd.

The matchup is the second title bout to be announced so far for the co-promoted ‘Christmas Cracker’ card, joining the Northern Area Title clash between Lewis Ritson and Jordan Ellison.

Darren Surtees is unbeaten in his four-fight professional career, and impressed most recently on Fighting Chances ‘Invincible’ show with a dominant victory over the more experienced Marek Laskowski. In a bout which saw his opponent having to weather heavy onslaughts in the final two rounds, Surtees showed brilliant composure and displayed a boxing maturity far greater than a four fight record would suggest.

Having forced stoppages in two of his four fights, Darren Surtees will be looking to bring his aggressive style and frantic pace to the bout on December the 3rd.

A 50% knockout average will do little to intimidate Luke Keleher however who has not been stopped in his eight fight career. This is especially impressive considering the high calibre opponents Keleher’s shared the ring with - his last outing being against the highly-touted Conor Benn, with Benn only taking the victory via a points decision. 

Keleher also battled to a hard fought draw against Glaswegian prospect Stewart Burt, and showed a stubborn resilience in both bouts.

Fighting for the British Challenge title will be exactly that for Surtees - a challenge; but no doubt one he will embrace in front of a lively home crowd. The County Durham boxer will be looking to secure his first title in what many expect to be an illustrious career, and will aim to use this bout to catapult himself into the domestic scene for the start of the new year.

The fight will take place on a packed end-of-year card at Rainton Meadows Arena, with former world title challenger Martin Ward hoping to cap off an unbeaten 2016, and local prospects Lee Mould and Mark White also aiming to impress and put themselves firmly into the mix for a title challenge of their own.

AUTHOR: Declan Bell

 

FIGHTING CHANCE PROMOTIONS AND PRO BOX NORTH EAST TO CO-HOST PACKED DECEMBER SHOW

Fighting Chance Promotions are proud to announce a working-partnership with Phil Jeffries of Pro Box North East, and will co-promote ‘The Christmas Cracker’ on the 3rd of December at Rainton Meadows Arena.

The end-of-year card is aiming to showcase up to 14 bouts in total, displaying an array of local talent made up of both up and coming prospects as well as more established fighters looking to make a serious dent in the domestic scene.

Headlining the bill will be former IBF World Title challenger Martin Ward. After narrowly missing out on a British title with a tight split decision against James Dickens, Ward has already begun to regain momentum with two wins so far this year and will be hoping to make it 3 out of 3 in front of a local audience. The West Rainton native’s homecoming could be made all the more important with discussions already underway to make the matchup an International title bout.

A boxer who has just fought for the Northern Area title and put on a tremendous display for the audience is the Mal Gates trained fighter Tom Whitfield. Although just missing out on the belt in what was a thrilling rematch with Daniel Cope, Whitfield will look to bounce back with an impressive display on the 3rd, hopefully teeing up perfectly a second shot at the title.

Having recently signed a promotional contract with Fighting Chance, Whitfield’s team mate Lee Mould is penciled in for his 3rd fight in six months on the Takeover card. The Sunderland boxer fought for the English title in what was only his 9th fight, and Mould will aim to follow up his stoppage of Dwayne Sheldon in his last outing with another impressive display in December.

Also featuring on the card is highly touted prospect Mark White, as well as brother of the recently crowned Northern Area champion Peter Cope. White will be looking to continue an unbeaten start to his professional career against the Stockton local and former London 2012 Olympian Abdon Cesar, whilst Cope will hope to end what has been a frustrating year for him activity wise with a dominant win.

A couple up-and-comers who impressed on Fighting Chances Ashington show - Henry Thomas and Darren Richardson, will be given the chance to make a statement on December the 3rd, and a collection of unbeaten boxers including Kalam Leather and Isaac Macleod will also feature.

With an array of talent from different stables appearing on the same card, ’Takeover: A Christmas Cracker’ is a perfect example of North East promotions working together for the benefit of the regional scene as a whole. Examples of key figures within North East boxing uniting doesn’t stop there however. With news of Fighting Chances Kyle Redfearn boxing on the Wraith Promotions show in Darlington on the 26th of November, coupled with the addition of Jamie Humble on the Pat Barrett show on December 17th, it’s obvious to all that the North East plans to show that it can be a hotspot for boxing talent.

Fighting Chance promoter Lewis Pendleton has long had this vision, and discussed in more detail the benefits of co-operation within the region and his excitement towards the prospect.

“Fighting Chance Promotions are delighted that the North East boxing scene is flourishing, proving that boxing politics are none existent.

Having fighters on every promoters show in the North East shows that the spirit of partnership is there, and that North East boxing grows if we stick together.

We look forward to working with Phil on his next show and have big plans in place next year to take boxing in the North East to the next level.”

As ever Fighting Chance would like to thank our partners Hit Hard News and Made in Tyne and Wear.

AUTHOR: Declan Bell

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)