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TO TALKS Y L E Z CLAU INDSA MARK / BY PHIL L / PEEP S ORLD Y USHB THE W PEEP O S H W N IE IA V R R B INTE MC TEST GREA ERS T WRIT S E U G H WRAIT STEVE MSTRONG R STU A WEILD ID V DA

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Brian Houshby

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T O PROMOTE YOUR F I G H T E R

STEVE WRAITH / / / WATCH THIS SPACE

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he arrival of Matchroom and Eddie Hearn on Tyneside has set the boxing world alight in recent months and the impending show on April 4th is already edging towards a sell out. So what does this mean for local fighters on the lower rungs of the fighting ladder looking up?

For me it means that they should be looking to be as active as possible in 2015. This is it! This the big chance that the North East has been waiting for and we all need to grab the opportunity with both hands or gloves in the case of the fighters.

Matchroom are at the very top of the game and they are still growing.

With the backing of Sky Sports and top sponsors they can attract the biggest names to their ever growing stable of fighters and can put on the fights that all fans want to see.

In Hearn they have the perfect figurehead who has an impressive knowledge of each and every fighter in each and every region that he is looking to promote in.

I believe they are. If we work hard and put in Are they looking at setting up here long term? Yes to produce fighters up here to keep the interthe hours collectively I believe they will. We need ers on the circuit who can pull in a crowd. I est of course but we currently have some great fight scene and think it’s time to work more alongside the amateur of future champions. We need to make it support them because that is the breeding ground the jump into the professional game. I’ve heard easier for an amateur who is considering making comes to them for advice about who they it from a few amateur coaches that when a fighter them in one direction should sign with that they are reluctant to guide work out for them and they end up resenting incase the kid makes that decision and it doesn’t game need to speak to the amateur clubs and the coach. That’s understandable. We, in the proour shows and vice versa. That was the idea encourage them to come and take an interest in recent behind our reduced ticket offer for amateurs on our as Grainger Park and Forest Hall a chance to ‘Rising Stars’ show. That gave amateur clubs such any sales. Both clubs sell 20 tickets at £20 and they got to keep 50% of clubs. A small amount in the grand scheme managed to sell their allocation raising £200 for their scene and giving those involved at that level of things, but the money is going to the amateur of the ropes. I’d like to see more promoters the chance to come and see the sport from our side I do feel that we will benefit in the long term looking at this type of scheme. It will take time but only be good for the sport as a whole and will if we all work together and help each other. It can e. ensure Matchroom are here for many years to com

NO PASSION NO POINT

clauzel talks to peep

BY PHIL LINDSAY

the last land is certainly flying at the moment. For rofessional boxing in the north east of Eng rgence in the region for the few years there has been a dramatic resu even world number of fighters winning national and noble art, with regular local shows and a tle’s Mark roles in this roller coaster ride is Newcas of ber num a ed play has who man One honours.

Clauzel. the crowds of exciting prospects which helped bring crop the of part was zel Clau er, box a As onsibilities which nt due to medical concerns and the resp back, before he was forced into retireme the sport, all six of his fights and tipped to go far in ning win r Afte ily. fam ng you a ing hav come with ed ahead ll on his frustrations but instead he has forg it would have been easy for Clauzel to dwe e not waned in the slightest. with new challenges and his ambitions hav

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with his company Ringstar Now working as a boxing manager and promoter in the local scene by putting on a Commonwealth Promotions, Clauzel has already made his mark transition to matters outside the ring, Clauzel title fight in his first promotion. Speaking about his the type of manager which he was not lucky bristled with enthusiasm at the prospect of being enough to have when he was fighting.

I understand their situation better than most. I’ve “My lads know I have been in there so they know aten in four fights so far and I’ve recently signed got some really good talent with Basi Razaq, unbe and they will be having their first professional two new guys in John Ferguson and Liam Sparrow fights in the next few months. right stage of their careers and that y job is to make sure they get the right fights at the protect their fighters too much and then means taking risks at times. Too many managers ls. It’s my they aren’t prepared for when they step up in leve given every chance when they step up towards responsibility to match them well so that they are title fights”.

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Clauzel has yet to put on his second professional show as he has had to focus on some of his other business interests over the last 12 months, although there are plans to put on a big amateur show with the inaugural Tyne/Wear Derby planned this summer. Clauzel realises only too well how important the amateur scene has been in the resurgence of the professional version of the sport in the region.

“We’ve always had an excellent amateur scene up here but it’s only recently that we’ve had regular local shows and the potential is now there for a lot more boxers to turn over to the pros.

We’ve never had as many professional boxers in the region and there are more turning over all the time so it’s a really exciting time. There will be more professional shows in 2015 than we’ve ever had before in the region and I can only see north east boxing going from strength to strength”.

Clauzel has no set plans for any professional shows in the immediate future but he certainly doesn’t rule out the idea. “There are shows almost every month at the moment. Phil Jeffries and Steve Wraith are doing a great job and they’re putting on enough shows to give everyone a chance of getting out. As my Ringstar stable grows then there’s a good chance that I’ll look at putting some more shows on but a lot of that will come down to timing.”

Clauzel shows the same level of commitment outside the ropes as he did as a fighter. You can’t help but feed from the positivity and belief in his words, whether he’s talking about chasing around to get sponsorship for his pro fighters or teaching his amateurs at Swalwell ABC, which he runs from his Vision Health and Fitness gym.

. Having not enforced upon them it’s en wh en ev t, en e adapt to retirem s taken it all in his strid ha l ze au Cl t any boxers struggle to bu lt cu ffi have now must be even more di camp. The foundations e th in your career taken away ne yo er ev r fo bition that the man still aking it a bright future am of el lev e th th wi d and focuses only on m reer an chapter of his boxing ca and co. been laid for the latest tu ight fu re for Clauzel br a t bu ng hi yt an e se retains, it’s hard to

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STU ARMSTRONG / / /

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are Knuckle Boxing, once the underground sport of Smokey back rooms, of run down pubs and clubs and of travellers in fields, has overdone a huge transformation in the last few years and has emerged as a legitimate sport with a huge fan base in the UK and across the world, thanks to some die hard promotors that refuse to give up in their quest to bring BKB to the forefront of mainstream sport.

The largest promoter in the UK and the one that has done the most to transform this sport, is BBAD promotions ltd. Headed up and owned by Joe Smith-Brown an accountant and businessman from Oxford.

Thanks to BBAD, BKB is becoming huge with big changes in the game to bring the sport to the masses by doing such things as using rings instead of pits or hay bales and introducing rounds.

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xing uld find at any professional bo wo you as od go as e car al dic Top me g some of the hter safety is paramount. Havin bout is always on hand and fig es in BKB contracted to BBAD, giv rs hte fig wn kno ll we st mo biggest and wn and luding someone who is well kno inc nt tale of ble sta e hug a m the , James North East but all over the world respected not just in his native tlantic is the BBAD British and Transa o wh ry, Co Mc ry.

Co Mc y’ Bo ‘Gypsy g urned from a month long trainin Champion (who has recently ret ther in Thailand) is ready to fight ano te titu ins g xin bo ai Th top a at session year, for the Beast’ Radford, in May of this e ‘Th ve Da rt, spo the of end leg from his dford, who some will remember coveted middle weight belt. Ra . t such legends as Roberto Duran professional days having fough Probably the biggest and best show to date from BBAD was held in Newcastle last month at the NE6 Suite in Walker. Top of the bill being local lad Michael ‘The Real Deal’ Ferry fighting for the UK Heavyweight title against Dovers, Craig ‘The Hammer’ Amer as well as a fantastic undercard showcasing the best BKB talent in the UK. The Show ‘Legends will be made’ was to be the first ever BKB show in the UK available on Pay Per View TV worldwide but sadly due to some technical issues at The Mercury Sport Network this didn’t go ahead.

The night was hosted by non-other than celebrity Gangster Dave Courtney who also proved he can do the business as master of ceremonies in his own unique way, and referee for the night was Shaun Smith who you may know from the vice documentary ‘Britain’s Baddest Debt Collector’.

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he night got underway with a novice fight Featuring a good friend of mine Stevie Cairney who fought Stephen Wynne to raise awareness into knife Crime for the Charity, Choose Lives not knives. The charity was set up in memory of Stevie Dom Leon who was tragically stabbed to death two years ago. Where do I start, this was a huge card and the Ferry vs Amer bout was always destined to be one for the BKB history books as it was just about as close as you can get to bare-knuckle boxing heaven. I have watched both fighters in previous bouts, and they are both very tough, hard men that really know how to box.

Until recently, I knew more about Michael Ferry then Craig Amer, as I live in Newcastle where Michael is from. I’ve seen him on many occasions fight, not only in bare-knuckle boxing but also gloved, the man is a powerhouse with amazing hand speed and the power in his punches to knock Godzilla out, and he really can box!

Then, a couple of weeks ago I interviewed both Michael Ferry and Craig Amer for my radio show on, Radio Northumberland. After doing some research and talking to Craig, I managed to learn a lot more about him. Craig has a massive wealth of experience and again really can box and throw powerful shots. Obviously Ferry is the taller of the two fighters with a better reach, but on the other hand, Craig has a lot of experience in fighting bigger guys with longer reaches. We all knew that this was going to be war, and we all thought that it would go the full seven rounds.

t and it ts said that they couldn’t answer tha ias hus ent B BK of lot a ll we e, com As for the out always saw Ferry as is was too close to call but to me I er pap On l. cal to se clo too t ss and jus s wa sn’t ready for. Nor were the BKB pre wa I e edg an of ch mu how t jus but having the edge, first eight seven rounds, but it was ended in the full the go not t figh the did y onl fans, not r and bringing ry came out waging an absolute wa brutal seconds of the first round. Fer ts. Then l tirade of impressively fast body sho erfu pow and t fas a h wit er Am to n armageddo ught referee Shuan that put him on the canvas and bro ribs ers Am to t righ e hug a w thre a new ry Fer ge for Ferry. That was game over and ppa sto by win a lde dec to ion opt Smith no other , jumping onto born, Ferry ran to the edge of the ring s wa ion mp Cha ish Brit ht eig vyw UK Hea home crowd. the ropes in celebration to a roaring t was the highlight on realized he had just took the UK Bel he en wh ry Fer of ile sm e uin gen The new Champ? Well, I think that’s the the night for me. So who next for the re is anyone speaking I don’t think at this time the ally son per , lips ’s ody ryb eve on n questio stage? Who knows, , so does this put him on the world in the UK that could even worry him or the US get in with the likes of Danny Bachel , see to like uld wo I t tha ing eth but that’s som I would love to see. some fight and I know it’s one that be uld wo k thin I t tha Now ? mp cha the world’s stage ly before he could be pushed onto tain cer ost alm t, bel UK his end def hard Will he speed and power, that’s where the e ens imm his dle han can o wh e but in finding someon team from BBAD Promotions. work really begins for Joe and the

DAVID WEILD / / / GIANTS SET TO CLASH IN KICKBOXING TOURNAMENT

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EWCASTLE: March 21st, sees the arrival of an explosive professional kickboxing tournament to be held in the region.

DUEL 4 will host ‘Road to Wembley’, a competition consisting of the North’s top Heavyweight fighters who will face each other under K-1 rules. However, what makes this event special is that not only will the winner walk away with the DUEL Tournament title, but also secures a slot at a much larger tournament to be held at London’s World-famous Wembley SSE Arena, promoted by UK Kickboxing giant Superfight Series Championships, later on in 2015.

DUEL Fight Sports, the company behind DUEL 4, has scouted the best upcoming Heavyweight talent to take part:

• James Cannon, North Shields

• Lukasz Parobiec, Consett

• Paul Venis, Middlesbrough

• Darren Moffitt, Leeds DUEL 4 certainly promises to be an exciting event, and with such a prestigious opportunity on the line for the tournament champion, could elevate the winner to the international stage.

About: DUEL Fight Sports is a Newcastle-based professional kickboxing league dedicated to K-1 style combat. With representative-promoters in 5 countries; UK, Romania, Mexico, Ghana, and the latest territory, Portugal, DUEL has no shortage of activity or talent. To find out more about getting involved with DUEL as a fighter, coach, matchmaker, promoter or partner/ promoter, please contact us direct on 0044 (0) 7967 398 709.

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