A CEREMONIAL mayor is in training for one of the fights of his life as he steps into the boxing ring.

Stephen Akers-Belcher, mayor of Hartlepool, will swap the council chamber for the boxing ring in a charity fight and has just announced that Liam “Hippo” Sanderson will be his opponent.

The Mayor has teamed up with local cancer charity Miles for Men to host Friday Night Fight Night which takes place at the Borough Hall, Headland, Hartlepool on Friday, April 10.

The evening will consist of around ten boxing bouts between local, non-boxing people to raise money for the Mayor’s four nominated charities: The Great North Air Ambulance, Hartlepool & District Hospice, Miles for Men and the RNLI.

The Ceremonial Mayor said: “I hadn’t boxed before so it has been interesting learning a new skill. I’ve been training at Gus Robinson HQ and my coach, Tony Cope, has been very supportive.

“The bouts will be between local non-boxing people and it should be a fun and entertaining evening.”

Miles for Men, which raises money for cancer research and is a male answer to the women-only annual Race for Life event, has raised more than £125,000 since it was established three years ago. Miles for Men also raise cash for other worthy causes throughout the year.

Tickets for the event are priced at £10, or £20 for a VIP ticket which includes a reserved seat at a table, wine and waiter service.

Standard tickets can be obtained from the box office on 01429 890000 and for VIP tickets contact Kevin Hill on 0795 1113600.

Doors open at 6.30pm and the first bout is expected to get under way at around 7pm.