The last show of 2013, in Wales, takes place this Friday 13th, at the Sport Wales National Centre, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. It is presented by Mark Prior and Warrior Promotions.
If you’re superstitious then Friday 13th has a bad meaning and this has been the case with the original line-up being hit by injuries and withdrawals. The main event should have been a clash for the Welsh area Cruiserweight title but a back injury, late in the day, forced Wayne Brooks out.
His opponent Craig ‘The Kid’ Kennedy (6-0), still fights on and even offered to fight a Heavyweight. Fortunately, matchmaker Steve ‘Sammy’ Sims found a late replacement in Iain Jackson (3-16-2) of Brighton, Sussex.
This will be Cardiffian Kennedy’s seventh bout, this year, since his début back in February. He has four stoppage victories, to his name, and will surely be looking to add the fifth in front of his home fans. Kennedy fights out of the orthodox stance, is a boxer-puncher and agile on his feet. It’s been a frustrating week, for him, but the Steve Robinson trained prospect will know that he can’t afford any slip-ups.
It is a shame for ‘The Kid’ that he doesn’t get the chance to fight for the Welsh title, though the popular fighter looks to have a bright future and titles will, surely, be regularly contested over the coming years.
The undercard features another two of Steve Robinson’s boxers – his son Francis Luke and prospect Peter Aston.
23-year-old Francis Luke Robinson (4-1) has been out of the ring for 18 months, due to injuries, and makes his comeback against Swansea trier Matthew Ashmole (0-15). The bout is in the light-middleweight division and over four rounds. It would be a big surprise, if young Robinson didn’t add a ‘W’ to the win column.
Peter Ashton (1-1), is looking to get back to winning ways, after losing a close but controversial decision to Thomas Jarvis, in his last bout.
Ashton represented Wales, at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, in Manchester but took a long break from the sport, after losing in the Welsh ABA finals to Robbie Turley. He turned professional in July, of this year, beating veteran journeyman Matt Seawright over four rounds.
In an all Cardiff affair, he faces Tom Price (0-2). Price has been stopped in both of his professional bouts, in 2013, and will be looking to improve and get his career onto a winning track. You would have to back former amateur star Ashton to get back to winning ways.
Fans will be treated to a rare talent in 18-year-old prospect Romeo Romaeo (1-0), the Bristol born boxer of Italian heritage has been hailed as a future star by Spencer Oliver (former EBU European super bantamweight champion).
The flamboyant, switch-hitting youngster always enters the ring in fantastic shape and has shown agility, power and speed. Former British featherweight champion, Steve ‘Sammy’ Sims told me that Romeo is a special talent and compared him to Chris Eubank and Naseem Hamed – very high praise indeed.
The Bristol native made his début, at the end of November, when scoring a second round knock-out of Latvian Andrejs Podusovs (4-6) at the Millennium Hotel, Mayfair, London. Romaeo had his opponent down in both rounds. It is a credit to him that he is back in the ring, so soon, and he will likely dazzle the crowd with another entertaining display. There is certainly a buzz about the youngster, in the sport, and he is one to watch.
21-year-old Tony Dixon of Mountain Ash faces St. Albans Danny ‘The Devil’ Murphy, in a four round welterweight bout to complete the line-up of bouts on the show. Dixon is undefeated in three, while Murphy has one three of his four paid bouts. The bout is likely to be closely competitive and it will be interesting to see who triumphs on the night.
Also, on the night will be a three round exhibition between Mitch Buckland (6-0) and Craig Woodruff (5-2). The two know each other well having fought twice, in the paid ranks. Buckland has been the victor, twice, and I’m sure this exhibition is just the latest, in this competitive rivalry.
Tickets are still available for the show and can be purchased on the door. Doors open from 7.30pm on Friday 13th December.
