Middleweight clash moves to Wolverhampton by Tom Podmore Jun 19th 2008

The massive Birmingham versus Black Country British middleweight title fight between Shard End-based champion Wayne Elcock and undefeated Dudley challenger Darren McDermott has made a last-minute move to the Black Country. The West Midlands pair were pencilled in to swap leather at the 3,500-seater SkyDome Arena, the city centre-based home to champion Ice Hockey team Coventry Blaze, on Friday night (June 20). A problem with ticket sales has meant that the Sky-televised show will now take place at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall, which was already set to stage a nine-fight card, instead. Black Country-based First Team (Paul (PJ) Rowson and Errol Johnson) were putting on the night's action at the atmospheric venue, originally topped by the vacant Midland Area welterweight fight between Telford's Mark Lloyd and Newark's AA Lowe, but have agreed to let Mick Hennessy move the sure-to-be explosive main event over to the Civic Hall. Hennessy Sports, GoldenPalace.net and First Team now promote the 11-bout Sky Sports card. The fights involving Bradford's Nadeem Siddique, Atherstone's Danny Coyle, Birmingham's Callum Archer and Coventry duo James Mulhern and Rhys Davies, both making their pro bows, have now been scrapped. Coventry light-welterweight James Flinn, promoted by First Team, and Northern Ireland welter Stephen Haughian are the only men from that bill who still box. The Wolverhampton undercard remains unchanged. But the news of the switch will have delighted the 29-year-old Dudley challenger, 14-0-1 (9). Originally set to box in the Brummie's back yard, Aston Villa Events Centre, he was happier that the fight had been moved to neutral Coventry at the end of last month. Now it's been moved again, this time to Wolverhampton – which is only five miles away from Dudley and a venue where he registered a four-round stoppage win over Kai Kauramaki last October. Things are gradually slotting into place for the Ronnie Brown-advised, Dean Powell-managed middleweight. Defending champion Elcock, 18-3 (8) and promoted by Hennessy Sports, has publicly expressed his disappointment at being unable to defend his Lonsdale Belt in front of his home supporters. The 34-year-old former IBF world title challenger will probably be even more annoyed at the fact the venue has been shifted at such at late stage of proceedings and that it will now take place in the challenger's territory. Enigmatic promoter Paul (PJ) Rowson, the busiest promoter in the Midlands, said: “Errol (Johnson, co-promoter, trainer and matchmaker) and I are delighted to help out with the huge Birmingham versus Black Country British title clash. Mick Hennessy gave me a call explaining the situation and I offered the services of our venue, something he took us up on.” He continued: “We are thrilled that the British Boxing Board of Control and Sky Sports were accommodating with the last-minute change of venue. This is great news for everyone involved with Midlands boxing and for people who wanted to see both cards but were unable to. “It's fantastic that the all-Midlands British title fight between Birmingham and the Black Country now takes place in one of the two territories. I have a good relationship with Mick Hennessy,” he continued,” and in conjunction with Hennessy Sports and GoldenPalace.net we expect a great 11-fight card that showcases the two best middleweights in the country and an undercard that will showcase the future of Midlands boxing. “It promises to be a cracking night,” added the man who has, along with Errol Johnson and Dave Bradley, promoted McDermott's last eight outings,” and will feel like a bit of a homecoming for Darren.”

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