Maxwell to make first Area title defence by Tom Podmore Sep 1st 2008

Max Maxwell makes the first defence of his Midland Area middleweight title later this month. The hard-hitting champion puts his belt on the line in an excellent-looking ten-round main event against undefeated Rob Kenney, Wolverhampton, at the famous surroundings of Edgbaston's Tower Ballroom on September 14, a Sunday afternoon show promoted by former pro Jon Pegg's newly-formed Warrior Promotions. Maxwell, 7-1 (2), had originally hoped that he'd be defending his 11st 6lbs title against Stourbridge's nine-fight unbeaten Sam ‘The Man' Horton at the atmospheric venue. The 29-year-old titlist from Birmingham had made an exclusive plea on BBN for outspoken Horton, who launched a ferocious verbal tirade towards Max after he won his belt earlier in the year, to “back up his boasts in the only place that matters [the ring]”. And it looked as if the plan had worked when both parties (Horton is handled by Black Country-based First Team of Errol Johnson and Paul (PJ) Rowson), provisionally agreed on a date for the fight, September 14. But Sam hasn't recovered from an ear operation, suffering an infection from that routine procedure, and said he won't be able to train long enough for the nine-bout show in Birmingham. Enter another Errol Johnson-trained, First Team-promoted fighter from the Black Country, eight-fight Kenney. The 31-year-old is one of the most improved boxers on the Midlands circuit and goes into his first ten-rounder high on confidence. After only managing to scrape a debut draw with experienced Pontefract veteran Peter Dunn in December 2006, Rob has put together a seven-fight winning streak (all on points) that has seen him drop only four rounds out of a possible 32. He outscored solid and capable Davey Jones over four last year, and dropped and outscored willing Drew Campbell in front of the Sky Sports cameras last time out. But local hero Maxwell appears as if he loves fighting men from the Black Country. The taller, muscled, long-armed Chelmsley Wood-based P.E. teacher stepped up from light-middle and won the vacant middleweight title with a one-sided crushing of local favourite Matty Hough in February, knocking down the well-supported Walsall scrapper – a career-long super-middle – twice en route to a third-round stoppage at Wolverhampton Civic Hall. He will be eager to dispose of another man who stands in the way of a successful first defence. But will the Richie Woodhall-trained ex-Navy poster boy, who got the ball rolling in the first Birmingham versus Black Country title clash earlier in the year, make it 3-0 to the Second City? An interesting chief support sees talented Erdington switch-hitter ‘Sweet' D Mitchell, 7-2 (2), taking on Leeds-based Irishman Lee Murtagh, 23-10-1 and a former two-weight Central Area and British Masters boss, over a light-middleweight six-threes. Undefeated Bartley Green ticketseller Eddie ‘Braveheart' McIntosh will look to extend his run to six, taking on Barnsley southpaw Rob Burton over four. Another undefeated Brummie going over four-threes, light-middleweight teenager Nasser Al Harbi, 2-0, takes on Nottinghamshire's experienced former Midland Area and British Masters champion Matt Scriven, just back from his summer of security work in Iraq. Northfield debutant Mark Regan makes his long-awaited debut against capable Sale slugger Mark Nielsen, 6-9 (2), over six-twos. Two Coventry-based fighters also make their pro bows on the undercard. The Davies twins, middleweight southpaw Llewy and light-heavyweight banger Rhys – a former Welsh ABA champion – see action against Doncaster's James Tucker (Llewy; six-twos) and Latvian Andrei Tolstihs (Rhys; four-threes). Atherstone welterweight crowd-pleaser Danny Coyle, 2-0, goes over four rounds with Halesowen first-timer Keith Sheen. Ticket information for the ‘Reservoir Jabs' show is available from Jon Pegg on 07973-635135.

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