By Terry Dooley
For myself and my photographer friend, long-time Manchester boxing figure Al “Big Al” Stevenson, the return to live boxing after nearly two years on hiatus, partly due to injury, was like riding the proverbial bike. Ride, especially when we were coming back. Small halls to the cozy confines of the grounds.
As our editor recently noted, these shows have ups and downs of 40-36 or 60-54 scores, but also old familiar faces from officials, business figures and fans. Fortunately, there was also a familiar face at the ticket desk in the form of promoter Pat Barrett’s older brother, who was handling the various passes. Luckily for him, this mini-comeback could have derailed at the first hurdle as access to the show was only verbally arranged with Barrett forgetting to deliver the ever-busy “Black Flash” message.
What began as a vague look of recognition on his older brother’s face became a memory of our attendance at past Black Flash promotions events, and in this instance we were in for a breed of familiarity rather than contempt. .
Barrett’s hopes of a three-title show were dashed earlier in the week when the Central Area heavyweight title fight between Peter Naylor and Louis Wright was called off due to Wright’s withdrawal.
Instead, Naylor picked up a stunning but clear win over Milos Veletic in the only heavyweight action of the night. Excited Naylor fans were playfully and comically patting the heads of members of the press row as they chatted about future titles for their man.
Speaking of press queue, it’s something of a misnomer because when it came to writing press in my estimation, it was just of BN Andrew Wake and me. it was. Even before my leave, the number of writers looking at fighters had dwindled on this and other levels.
At one time, you can count on at least a half dozen writers attending this type of show to provide coverage to local newspapers. While changing, it’s largely down to taste and let’s be honest here, there are a lot of bang-average writers who are just phoning it in or doing it.
If small hall shows resembled traveling circuses—familiar faces in similar places telling the same stories—writers were program sellers, something else that began to be limited by the time history of this type of show. has gone .
The night’s MC, Aki Kareem, kept things going at a lively pace. Kareem came out through video interviews, establishing himself over time. British Boxer With Chris Mallett, Barrett’s longtime right-hand man and MC, in charge of overseeing his YouTube content.
It was a family affair for Kareem on Saturday night. The well-stocked environment meant he could live with his partner and two children safe in the knowledge that the friends he had made over the years were there to keep everyone safe, entertained and happy. The rings were on the side.
From local shows to TV spots, Kareem has walked the path that small hall fighters only dream of. He recently did some work with DAZN, telling me: “I love shows like that and I’m so addicted to them. Then you have DAZN, which is a new experience and, yeah, it’s Can cause nervous tension.”
Joe O’Sullivan’s nerves went to hell and he once again lost a rematch to veteran journeyman Victor Idagha, who secured a 38-39 win to prevent what was possibly his 100th loss.
O’Sullivan dropped a 37-38 decision to Edagha at the same venue in July and could not predict or time his opponent’s erratic, freewheeling style. The Italian-born, London-based visitor doesn’t so much move as hop, step and leap towards his opponent, swinging all the while.
Two wins over the same fighter, then three overall this year for Idaho. I asked him if he wanted back-to-back wins for the first time in his 109-fight career. He faces a debutant, Troy Gallagher, at Bolton on November 30 so it’s not out of the realm of possibility – although picking up a few wins could come at a cost.
“If I keep winning, the phone might stop ringing!” He frankly and honestly confessed to me after the fight, summing up the route taken by travelers up and down the country. “Do you think I won or would a draw have been fair?” he asked. “I wasn’t sure, but, like I said, it’s nice to get some wins. Hopefully they don’t see it and stop calling me.
They may be unquestionable words for the puritanical, yet they confirm the harsh reality of life on the street. In both style and application, the Adaga is not dissimilar to former journeyman Tony Randall, who went by the brilliant moniker “TNT” or, better yet, “The Randalizer.”
Randle retired in 2012 with a 12-30-2 (9) record which is a bit of a story. “The Randallizer” had back-to-back wins under Jonny Enigma and again in 2007 for Graham Dalyheady. – Fighting winning streak that included a successful title defense over Kevin Conception.
This mini-resurgence ended in 2010 with Frank Warren’s loss to Matthew Hall on the big Michael Katsidis-Kevin Mitchell bill at Upton Park, but he was still the journeyman for just over a year, bucking the trend. Moved forward.
Notably, promoter Pat Barrett was looking at his training hat to work Adam Rasool’s corner for the vacant Central Area super featherweight title fight against Ibrahim Nadeem, who looked very healthy in the corner. Incoming was Ricky Heaton. Rasool came in two pounds over the limit, so didn’t win the belt. By all accounts, he could barely lift his arms while trying to make weight and that was the case for most of the massive 92-99 loss.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 30: Director Dan Dewsbury and Ricky Hatton attend the UK premiere of “Hatton” on August 30, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)
Manchester Boxing reported that it was Barrett who floored a teenage Heaton with a left hook to the body during the fight to highlight the importance of one of Heaton’s pet punches. Barrett is a firm believer in the impermanence of concussions and has never gone on record to confirm it, telling me that flooring a new professional is nothing to brag about, even if they’re at great heights. reach to Although others, including Heaton himself, have pointed to its truth.
It was the first time to my knowledge that they had faced each other in the ring as rivals, certainly in a title fight, and it made me wonder if they were light welterweights in their respective primes. What if we met as vet professionals? .
Hatton notoriously used weight gain as part and parcel of his work. Barrett often tells me that he likes coming down to weight for his fights because it keeps him hungry, angry and focused before the first bell. As Manchester battles on, “The Hitman” against “Black Flash” is about to change and flavor our collective imagination.
