Downing out of Gordan clash, Doody in

West Bromwich's Wayne Downing who was coming out from an eight month retirement has been forced to pull out of his British Masters title clash with Brierley Hill's Martin Gordan this Thursday.

Downing who holds a previous points victory over Gordan was said to have been struggling with making the weight and was told by his team to cancel the fight, which he reluctantly did.

Tipton's Rob Doody will replace Downing in what will still be a black country derby, but not with any title at stake. Doody and Gordan (pictured) have been scheduled to fight no fewer than 3 times before but due to injuries and show cancellations have yet to meet.

Picture courtesy of Express and Star

Altrincham weigh in pictures and weights

Pictures and weights from yesterdays weight in for tonight's Hatton promoted bill at Altrincham leisure centre


Rob Norton (198.5) Vs David Dolan (200)


Martin Gethin (134.5) Vs Graeme Higginson (134.5)

Pictures courtesy of Hatton Promotions

Altrincham preview - Norton and Gethin both in title fights tonight

Tonight Hatton Promotions host an impressive looking card at
the Altrincham leisure centre, top of the bill sees Stourbridge southpaw Rob Norton defending his British and Commonwealth crusierweight titles in a rematch with Sunderland's David Dolan. Also on the card Walsall's Martin Gethin faces Graeme Higginson for the vacant English lightweight strap.

It was almost a year ago when Rob Norton and Sunderland's David Dolan clashed at the Aston Arena, then for Norton's British cruiserweight belt and the vacant Commonwealth title. The fight turned out to be an exciting if not controversial affair.

When the pair first met it had pretty much everything, including five knockdowns (some of which were disputed) and a controversial ending (Dolan's team still dispute the scoring) so it was likely the two would meet again and tonight they do.

Norton is a very tricky fighter to fight, a southpaw who's stance and movement are very unorthodox, he can however get lazy at times and if his minds not a hundred percent on the job I can see Dolan, who will be more used to fighting the awkward Stourbridge fighter since their first fight, dropping Norton and maybe winning on points.

Walsall's Martin Gethin hopes to get his career back on track and will aim tonight to capture the vacant English lightweight title (a belt he held in 2008) when he faces Blackburn's Graeme Higginson. Gethin was supposed to fight for the belt before Christmas against Stefy Bull but Bull pulled out injured and Gethin gets his chance tonight.

Higginson's a good competitor and has turned his career around since losing his first four professional fights in 2005 and 2006. Since that early stage in his career his only losses on the whole have been at the hands of good fighters. I see Gethin having too much grit for him in this one though and can see him walking through Higginson's shots and maybe forcing a late stoppage bringing the English belt back to Walsall, and perhaps more importanlty to Gethin, putting him back in the British title mix.

Elsewhere on the card Mark Thompson fights Kevin Mcintyre in a British welterweight title eliminator, Paul Samuels and Cello Renda go at it again, and if they're first encounter is anything to go by there will be fireworks! Sky screen the show as Friday Fight Night tonight from 10pm.

Picture courtesy of Hatton Promotions

Mutley gets tune up in Notts, wants Daws later in the year

West Bromwich's Young Mutley (pictured) will be in action in a keep busy fight at the Harvey Haddon Centre, Nottingham, on the Jason Booth Vs Matthew Marsh undercard on the 5th February.

Mutley who has recently signed a three fight deal with Frank Maloney wants to tune up and then target British light welter champ Lenny Daws by the end of the year.

His opponent on the 5th will be London based Michael Frontin who although having lost 6 (mostly against good opposition) does have an impressive win over ex English light welterweight champion Scott Haywood.

Picture courtesy of Express and Star

Portman in next Prizefighter

West Bromwich's Marcus Portman is almost certain to be in the next Prizefighter tournament, Prizefighter The Light Middleweights.

The ex WBF light middleweight champion has said that after his dissapointing draw with Tyan Booth last October he was close to retiring, but will give Prizefighter a go and see how he goes from there.

Other rumoured entrants are ex Portman opponents Gary Woolcombe and Bradley Pryce, aswell as Leicester's Martin Concepcion and Matthew Hall.

The tournament will take place on February 26th at York Hall, Bethnal Green and will be screened by Sky.

Black Country derby at Holiday Inn

West Bromwich's Wayne Downing will return to the ring after an eight month retirement to face Dudley's Martin Gordon for the vacant British Masters title at the Holiday Inn in Birmingham at the end of the month. Downing retired in May to concentrate on his corner work with the Wednesbury gym but will be back in the ring aiming to pick up a belt against an opponent he beat in 2007.

The show will be Wednesbury based First Team's first show of the year and will be hosted by guest speaker and ring legend John Conteh. The four fight dinner show will also feature Stourbridge's Sam Horton who will be aiming to bounce back from his recent British title eliminator defeat by beating Welshman Jamie Ambler which will be for an International Masters title. Filling the rest of the card will be Dudley's Chris Male and Coventry's ex English champion Steve Bendall.

Mutley to fight on at light welterweight

West Brom's Young Mutley has vowed to fight on after his recent semi final loss in Prizefighter The Light Welterweights and is going to campaign back at the 10 stone light welterweight limit where he believes he is strongest. Mutley will also Keep original trainer Jason Shinfield as main man in his corner (after bringing him back for Prizefighter) alongside Errol Johnson with both working together.

The 33 year old ex British champion beat Barrie Jones in the quarter final but then lost a close fight to old foe Colin Lynes (Lynes stopped Mutley in 2007 for the European strap) which included a rather dubious knockdown being given against Mutley.

Picture courtesy of theprizefighterseries.com/Matchroom Sport Ltd

Saville's suffers shock defeat

Friday 18th September 2009
Civic Hall, Wolverhampton

This past Friday night First Team promotions hosted a five fight card billed as "Big Bother".

Local favourite Steve "Bomber" Saville was left fuming after losing a 96-95 decision to awkward Youssef Al Hamidi for the vacant British Masters light welterweight title, in what was an eventful top of the bill.

From early on it was clear Syrian born Al Hamidi had come to have a go and wasn't just there to make the numbers. The late substitute (Saville was originally supposed to fight Jon Baguley) landed some decent shots and was slightly the busier of the two, Saville looked to cover up and looked for the big shot.

In round four Saville found the big shot and dropped Al Hamidi. Al Hamidi was still the busier though in the middle rounds and Saville's left eye was badly swollen. In round six Al Hamidi was docked a point for blatant use of the head but Saville's eye looked a mess.

Saville seemed to tire in the later rounds and was struggling to keep his eye guarded at the same time trying to find one big shot. Al Hamidi however continued to outwork the Wednesfield man. At the end of the tenth referee Shaun Messer lifted Al Hamidi's hand much to the dismay of Saville. Al Hamidi improves to 6-20-1, whilst Saville is now 19-6-0.

Elsewhere the paparazzi were out in force as recent Big Brother contestant (and boxer) Angel McKenzie took on Wolverhampton's only female boxer (and current GBC super featherweight champion) Lyndsey Scragg. It was to be no eviction party for McKenzie though as hometown girl Scragg exited with a 79-75 points victory.

Essington Middleweight Ben Wilkes continued his improvement in his debut year with a 40-38 points victory over Matt Scriven who's always a good test. Wilkes improves to 5-0-0.

Worcester's Alex Strutt impressed with a first round stoppage victory over Scunthorpe's Davey Jones that send his travelling fans home happy.

Willenhall prospect Myles Holder made it three wins out of three with points victory overChris Brophy over six rounds.

Birmingham's Chris Truman improved to 2-0-0 with a shutout points victory over Welshman Craig Dyer over four three's.

In attendance at the decently supported show were ex British welterweight champion Young Mutley who entered the ring to applause, ex WBF light middleweight champion Marcus Portman, both from West Brom and current Commonwealth super flyweight champion Don Broadhurst.

McDermott to defend against Butler in Manchester

Dudley's Darren McDermott will defend his English title against mandatory challenger Bristol's Danny Butler on a Hatton promotions show at the Velodrome in Manchester on September 25th.

Purse bids were put out for this fight recently with Hatton's promotion team who represent Danny Butler winning the bids and putting the fight on for that date. There are strong rumours that this date could be Hatton's first show on Sky as part of the deal they have signed recently.

"The Black Country Bodysnatcher" Darren McDermott will be looking to get back to winning ways after recently coming up short in a Commonwealth title chance against Darren Barker and will want to keep the English strap he beat Steve Bendall for earlier in the year.

Butler has mixed in far less quality company as McDermott (who has also fought for the British title losing on a cut against Wayne Elcock last year). Although Butler does have a few decent wins, including one for the vacant Super-Middleweight British Masters title over Walsall's Matty Hough last year (Butler stopped Hough in the 5th at the Tower Ballrooms, Edgbaston) and his only loss was in the Prizefighter tournament where he lost to the eventual winner Martin Murray.

Hillocks wins at Tower Ballrooms

Tower Ballrooms, Edgbaston
Sunday 5th July

Brierley Hill's Quinton Hillocks continued his career climb with his third win in as many fights. The Super-Middleweight beat Weslhman Adam Wilcox on points over four.

Stourbridge's Richie Wyatt made it two wins from two fights beating Craig Dyer over two fours.

Also on the bill Dee Mitchell beat Martin Concepcion (the two had fought last year, Concepcion winning on that occasion), Eddie McIntosh beat Jamie Norkett and Nasser-Al-Harbi beat Martyn King all on points.