Blackpool’s famous Winter Gardens hosts one of Lancashire’s biggest fight bills in recent memory this Friday (5th October) courtesy of Promoter Steve Wood with a combined WIP Boxing and Lion Promotions. Entitled as being ‘Blackpool’s Famous Five,’ the line-up more than shows why it is so.
Headlining the bill is that of the British Light Middleweight Champion, Brian ‘The Lion’ Rose (25-1-1; 5KO’s) as he faces the former World Champion, Guyana-American Vivian Harris (29-8-2; 19KO’s) in an International Light Middleweight bout. Also on the undercard are several of Blackpool’s pugilistic talent in Matty ‘The Assassin’ Askin (13-1; 9KO’s), Jeff Thomas (10-7; 1KO) and two unbeaten prospects in Adam Little (7-0; 2KO’s) and Scott Cardle (5-0: 1KO). Overall there are eight bouts on the card for what promises to be a great night of professional boxing.
Both Rose and Askin are big name fighters in their respective weight divisions and both have alternatively similar paths to the Winter Gardens. Coming from the perspective of both their respective opponents when you see the challenges of the mind they have both overcome.
‘The Lion’ was down to face that of Sam Webb on the undercard of the David Price-Audley Harrison bout the following weekend in a British title defence and, understandably disappointed he has a somewhat greater challenge in front of him now. On this matter he said “everything had been agreed but he then pulled out a few days later.
“Webb was then offered to face me at Blackpool on this show but refused to take up the challenge, however I will be looking to fight him for the title before this year is out.
“If I beat him then the title is mine outright and will then be looking to move upwards to the European and World levels.”
Wood said similar and was quoted as saying “Brian was supposed to box Webb on the undercard of the David Price vs. Audley Harrison bill in Liverpool on October 13th.
“He was really looking forward to it and the tickets were going well, but we then got a call saying that, financially, the fight couldn’t happen and would likely take place on Price’s next date in December.
“We couldn’t wait that long so, with Brian being so popular in Blackpool, I’ve booked this date and got him a fight that will make him known globally, while we wait for a new domestic date.”
It is a challenge though Rose is adamant he will take, and take well. He continued by stating that “both my manager (Bobby Rimmer) and myself discussed this would be a great stepping stone for me and is a tough but also, risky fight.
“However, you never know unless you try. Facing Harris in my hometown is perfect for me.
“He has been there and done it,” continued Rose. Knowledgeable that Harris has face talented opposition in that of Vargas, Ortiz, Matthysse and Witter in a 15 year career.
“I will be looking to do a proper job when I get into the ring and show that the ten week sacrifice I have endured this time was worth it.”
‘The Assassin’ on the other-hand has had a change of opponent to the originally scheduled Paul David. Instead he will face a tougher challenge as well in the shape of Paul Harris (5-9-2; 3KO’s). Further disappointment for Askin came in that his bout will now be over just four rounds, a sharp drop from his last bout when he lost to Jon-Lewis Dickinson in the English Cruiserweight title fight back in March. That was over ten rounds, the bout with David was supposed to be six, but a drop down to four has given him food for thought.
“Although it hasn’t affected me massively with facing Harris being an easier proposition, if it had been the other way around then that would have been harder to take.
“Realistically though I’m just looking to get the rounds in.”
There could even be a slightly more relaxed, different approach when Askin takes to the ring at the Winter Gardens. More so than the one who faced Dickinson earlier in the year. “Even though it was an amicable parting I’ve had to change my trainer,” said Askin.
“More so with him now training Hatton; the travelling though was hard for me but my mental attitude is now better and I’m more relaxed. It’s taken a lot of weight off my shoulders.”
The Dickinson defeat was the first of his career, at the fourteenth time of asking, and Askin is looking ahead now. “I want to see what I’ve learnt and put in a more mature, disciplined performance.
“I couldn’t seem to get over that loss and I felt like I’d let a lot of people down.”
Included on the undercard and the remaining trio of ‘The Famous Five’ sees that of Jeff Thomas, back last year after a near five year ring absence and who will face Andrew Patterson (5-33-5; 4KO’s) at Light Middleweight. With similar records, Thomas will be looking to eradicate the pain of his last outing, a TKO2 against Nathan Weise. During his return last year Thomas was also unlucky in the Prizefighter Series when drawing his bout with Agyei-Dua.
“I made a few mistakes in the build-up to Weise,” admitted Thomas.
“I was looking to break into the top ten or so at the time and I’d had a few good results (PTS6 over Wali and the Prizefighter draw with Agyei-Dua) so I will be looking to keep this bout with Patterson a little cleaner after getting caught in a brawl last time out.
“He was a talented opponent (Weise) and it was a defeat which happened, the nature of which won’t happen again. I know where I went wrong and I would say I have learnt from it.”
Thomas was only drafted in a few weeks back following the withdrawal of another local, Jack Langfield, and, although he has had little time to prepare he has been doing some MMA training.
“I will look to see how I perform against Patterson before deciding what to do next,” said Thomas.
”I enjoy keeping fit and MMA is a great and enjoyable way for me to do so. I would like to try a few bouts there but if I do well against Patterson then I stay in Boxing.”
The two unbeaten Blackpool stars on the bill arrive in the shape of Adam Little, who made his debut in March 2011 with an RTD2 success over Matt Seawright and has notched up seven straight successes. His last success was a PTS6 over his Winter Gardens opponent, Dee Mitchell (9-23-1; 2KO’s).
And the other being Scott Cardle, who, with five straight successes, only made his in-ring, pro debut in March this year and will be facing a Nicaraguan named Luis Garcia (5-9-3). Garcia has only fought outside his homeland, a defeat in his last outing in Italy.
Of their respective bouts Little said “I had a broken hand when I faced Mitchell the last time but I beat him in every round.
“This time though I am hoping to stop him and am looking to put out a statement of intent.
“It’s nice that people are starting to recognize me a little more for what I am doing. People will start to notice me and, with Ricky Hatton in my corner, it’s an added bonus for me.
“I’m a seven fight professional who’s not well known yet whereas Hatton is a household name. I’ll always understand that he is who he is and I just take it all in.
“I think he is the perfect example as to how to do things.”
Cardle though is less aware of his opponent and was only assigned him in the past few days and therefore it is a harder call to make. However, not that long out of the amateurs, he only turned professional this year, Cardle is adamant as to how far his success will go.
“I’m expecting to be 9-0 by Christmas,” meaning a further four bouts after this one.
“I’ve fought on the undercards for (Kell) Brook, (Carl) Frampton, (Carl) Froch and (Tony) Bellew and when I turned professional I contacted all the British promoters to see who could offer me what I wanted, who would give me the most fights.
“Granted they all promised me at least six but Eddie Hearns had the dates as well and it’s working rather well so far. I’m fighting on the Brook card in a few weeks time.
“I don’t want easy stoppages or fights, I want tough opponents and to be aiming towards Area and English titles as well as remaining undefeated into next year.”
Promoter Wood was also quoted as saying that “I’d really like to thank my fellow promoters Eddie Hearn and Ricky Hatton for lending me the services of Scott Cardle, Matty Askin and Adam Little for this show.
“To get these five local fighters all together on the same night is a real coup. They’re all very talented and are up there with some of the UK’s best boxers. They’ll all be in exciting fights and this will be a great night of boxing in Blackpool.
“Vivian Harris is still a big name, and this fight has the potential to be a real banana skin for Brian, but I’m absolutely sure he’ll do it.”
Sentiments surely echoed by many others in and around the British fight scene.
Photographs courtesy of Karen Priestley
