Review of Midlands Boxing in 2006 by Tom Podmore Jan 2nd 2007

There is really only one word to describe the year of 2006 for boxing in the Midlands: Rollercoaster. There have been great highs and lows for our local gladiators. But, on the whole, 2006 has been the best year for boxing in this area in recent memory – more championship calibre fighters, shows and promoters than ever before. And 2006 couldn't have got off to a better start. Young Mutley, having been avoided for so long down at light welterweight, ripped the British welterweight title from house fighter Michael Jennings at the Nottingham Arena in January. West Bromwich's Mutley, who had considered going on the road as a journeyman at one point, outpunched and out-thought Jennings to pick up the coveted Lonsdale belt via split decision. It was the kind of night the Black Country puncher had dreamed of since he first laced on the gloves as an amateur. However, it's not only the fighters who make the headlines. Two new promoters have emerged in the past year, and are putting on regular shows to keep boxing alive in the middle of the county. Paul (PJ) Rowson, who fronts PJ Promotions, and Ken Purchase, who fronts Ringside Promotions. Rowson, with help from trainer Errol Johnson, has put on a seamless supply of shows in the Black Country since putting on his debut show in February. Not only is he the busiest promoter in the United Kingdom, but he's rapidly getting a reputation for staging the most evenly matched, value-for-money shows. He also has several fighters who are capable of procuring domestic titles – Darren McDermott, Young Mutley, Dean Hickman, etc. Purchase's objective? Simple, make Birmingham a big-time boxing city again. And the signs are he's doing just that. He made his promotional debut at the classy ICC (International Convention Centre) in Birmingham in May, and matched local hero Wayne Elcock in a British title eliminator. Since that show, Ken and Louis have gone from strength-to-strength and have a good stable of fighters, which include Wayne Elcock, Pele Reid and Anthony Maynard. He has also got Richie Woodhall on board training fighters. These include Max Maxwell, Lee Jones, Waja Hussain, James McKinkley and Delroy Mitchell. The two new additions to the promotional world have joined established promoters in the area – Pat Cowdell, Mike and Jason Shinfield, Robin Hood (Matt Scriven), the Coventry Sporting Club and Impact Boxing in Stoke. Other promoters to have joined the mix are former pro Spencer Alton, under the guise of Contender Promotions and Scott Callow, who is promoting in Nottinghamshire. Champions haven't been hard to find in the Midlands either. There have been now fewer than 12 boxers have brought titles to the area: 1. Wayne Elcock – English and WBF International 2. Darren McDermott – Midland Area and British Masters 3. Mark Lloyd – British Masters 4. Young Mutley – British 5. Adnan Amar – British Masters 6. Stuart Elwell – Midland Area 7. Scott Lawton - English 8. Tristan Davies – Midland Area 9. Martin Gethin – British Masters 10. Darren Gethin – British Masters 11. Chris Edwards - English 12. Harry Ramogoadi – British Masters. The talented Telford twosome Tristan Davies and Mark Lloyd have had a highly succesful 2006. Both have remained unbeaten and picked up titles in the process. Lloyd, 7-0 (1), won the British Masters light middleweight strap with a seventh round retirement against Brummie puncher Terry Adams. Tristan, 9-0, procured the Midland Area lightweight belt with a landslide points victory over Carl Allen. Walsall has seen a massive resurgence in talent. The year ended with the town having three champions – Martin Gethin, 8-0 (3), Darren Gethin, 7-8-5 (1) and Stuart Elwell, 9-0 (1), Add to mix, Matty Hough, 5-1, and the future looks in safe hands. Former Royal Marine Elwell, who is lined up to fight for the English title in the New Year, won the vacant Midland Area welterweight title with a wide points win over durable David Kirk. He also knocked out the fancied Francis Jones in one round in June. The youngest of the three fighting Gethin's has had a busy year and fought on four occasions. He picked up the British Masters light welterweight title with a third round demolition of Judex Meemea, who had taken Dave Stewart the distance. And, to round off a great fighting year for the Gethin's, Darren picked up the British Masters light middleweight strap with a classy performance against Birmingham's Simon Sherrington – outpointing the Pat Cowdell trained stylist. Matty Hough scored a career best win over Dean Walker, but was soundly beaten by fellow unbeaten Danny McIntosh in his next appearance. However, he will look to rebound in the early part of 2007 and a title shot could still be in the offing. It's been a good year for the boys from Burton – Matt Galer and Jonjo Finnegan. Galer, 9-6 (4), retained his Midland Area light middleweight title in his only outing of the year. But the manner in which he beat Simon Sherrington suggests he could compete at a much higher level than area level. Jonjo, 10-1-3, went 6-0-1 in 2006, and fights for the vacant Midland Area super middleweight title in March. Leicester duo Scott Lansdowne and Rendall Munroe has contrasting years. ‘Big' Scott, 14-4 (6) didn't lose a fight this year, beat former British champion Julius Francis, and is looking at a shot at the vacant English heavyweight title by the summer. Rendall, 10-1 (4), lost his unbeaten record, albeit controversially, in a British title clash with classy Mancunian Andy Morris – sadly, Rendall hasn't fought since. Melton Mowbray's Paul Butlin, 10-3 (2), was hoping to fight for the Midland Area and British titles in 2007. However, he was beaten up and stopped by Chris Burton in December, and his title aspirations have been put on ice for the time being. Stoke have added two English champions to their roll of honour- Scott Lawton and Chris Edwards. Lawton, 20-2-1 (4), a long time Midland Area champion, won the vacant English lightweight title with a stoppage against Steffy Bull. Bull, fighting at home in Doncaster, was beaten up and stopped in the eighth. Edwards, 10-12-2 (3), won the vacant English flyweight title with a stoppage over the favoured former Commonwealth king Dale Robinson. Edwards has a British title date with Dale next year. Dean Hickman and Young Mutley continue to prove themselves as West Bromwich's finest with impressive wins. Mutley, 21-2 (12), as mentioned earlier, won the British title. However, he lost it in June in a classic against Kevin Anderson. He is looking for a shot at Ted Bami's European light welterweight title by the summer. Hickman, 15-2-1 (5), may have lost a British title eliminator earlier in the year, but the Midland Area champion proved he was far from a spent force with a chilling second round knockout over Tom Hogan in June. He has slimmed down to lightweight and challenges Scott Lawton for the English title in February. Nottingham's British and Commonwealth champion Carl Froch, 20-0 (16), impressed in his final fight of the year, knocking out Tony Dodson in three rounds, as well as knocking out Brian Magee. He could be a world champion by 2008 – wouldn't that be something for the Midlands! Adnan Amar, 16-1 (3), won the British Masters title with a sixth round knockout over Simon Sherrington. The Ingle trained welterweight hopes to challenge for the Lonsdale belt in 2007. Dudley's Darren McDermott, 11-0-1 (6), has evolved into a real contender for the British middleweight title in 2006. He pounded Michael Monaghan into retirement, then stopped seasoned Pole Andrejz Butowicz. He rounded off the year by picking up the British Masters title by widely outpointing Hussain Osman. Bad year for the Coventry boys – Steve Bendall, 25-3 (12), losing in a European title challenge, then losing his English title to Brummie rival Wayne Elcock. Andy Halder, 14-5 (2), hasn't fought since being knocked out in five by Dimitri Sartison in February. Carl Wright, 13-1-1 (4), lost his unbeaten record at the hands of JJ Ojuederie in the summer – the British Masters and Midland Area champion hasn't fought since. Great to see Rob Norton back. Rob, 28-3-1 (19), who is an avoided cruiserweight, came back with a bang in October – knocking out Roland Hoverath in a couple of rounds. He is desperate for another shot at the British title, and it's the least he deserves. The Worcestershire Smith's – Billy and Ernie - have had a productive year. In fact, Billy, who had lost his first 24 contests, won five of his last eight towards the end of the year, and is shifting his journeyman tag and replacing it with dangerman. Ernie has lived up to his hardman reputation and no one ever has an easy ride with ‘Gypsy Boy'. Birmingham's fighters have had an eventful year. Simon Sherrington, 5-3-3 (3), lost in three title attempts, but will plug away in 2007 and hopes to get that elusive belt. Matty Macklin, 17-2 (10), lost a classic with Jamie Moore in his attempt for the British light middleweight title. Peter Buckley has been testing fighters up and down the country. Pele Reid, 17-4-2 (16), returned after a four-year exile, and showed all of his famed power when knocking out durable Paul King. Young fighters to look out for in 2007: Dean Harrison, 3-0, (Wolverhampton). PJ Rowson unveiled the Wolverhampton youngster in October and predicted big things – he hasn't disappointed so far. Dean, who has beaten Joe Mitchell, Kristian Laight and Baz Carey, is also a big-ticket seller. The future's bright, the future's orange for the Wolverhampton Wanderers fan! Rob Hunt, 3-0 (1), (Stafford). Trained by Paul Dykes in Staffordshire, Rob flattened unbeaten Ian Clyde on his debut, then followed that win up with measured wins over experienced campaigners in Peter Buckley and Karl Taylor – two former Area champions. Buckley claimed he was the best fighter he'd faced in a long time. D (Delroy) Mitchell, 3-0 (1) (Birmingham). The Brummie switch hitter has really looked the business since turning over with Ringside Promotions in September. The welterweight has shown power, poise and accuracy. If he continues like he has, then it will be titles round his waist soon. Fighter of 2006: Wayne Elcock, 17-2 (8), (Birmingham). What a year for Elcock. He started the year with an uncertain future and ended it with an English title strapped round his waist, and a British title shot in the offing. Credit has to be bestowed on Ken Purchase for getting him in this position and delivering Wayne with the fights he wanted. He beat former conqueror Lawrence Murphy in a British title eliminator in five, then battered Vinnie Baldassara to add the WBF international title to his collection. However, it would be the English title victory that got pulses racing. Facing up to Coventry rival Steve Bendall, a boxer he'd wanted to face since they were both amateurs, Wayne battered the champion black and blue to take the English title in eight rounds. Three fights in Birmingham in 2006, three wins, three stoppages and two titles – not bad for the Brummie nice-guy, who had been written off after his points loss to British champion Scott Dann. Now he can look forward to a second British title shot in the autumn, however, in the mean time, he fights for the WBF ‘world' title in March in Birmingham. 2006 has been one hell of a year in these parts, lets hope 2007 is even better.

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