Boxing writer Peter Mann rounds up the latest news on the North-East fight scene

IT was a tough ask getting two shows to come off successfully on the Tyne and Wear this past weekend, but it was achieved with aplomb as both Fighting Chance Promotions (in Gateshead on Saturday night) and Phil Jeffries (at Rainton Meadows on Sunday afternoon) put on well-supported events in their respective domains.

It would be the Wearside half of the region that would be found celebrating the loudest however as ‘Mackem Mexican’ Lee Mould went into the lion’s den at the Gateshead Leisure Centre on Saturday night and not only ended home fighter Craig Dixon’s 12-fight unbeaten streak in the pro game, but also claimed the Northern Area welterweight strap in doing so.

The taste of defeat is a bitter one to swallow and Fighting Chance will go back to the drawing board with Dixon, and their cruiserweight Jon-Lewis Dickinson who lost his cruiserweight bout against Courtney Fry. Both bouts ended by a very narrow one-point success for the away fighter.

After claiming the Area title Mould, who fights out of the increasingly successful Mal Gates’ gym in South Shields, said: "I felt that the scores were identical to what my trainer, Mal, had and that I was at least two rounds up.

"If we're honest then he should have had some points deducted as well as he kept holding and spitting out his gum shield.

"He just didn't want to face my power game, but I'm taking this and dropping down to light welterweight, imagine what I can do there."

With Dickinson losing, and Newbiggin’s Lewis Scott going down early in a defeat of his own against Scot Rhys Pagan, matters were on a downer for Tyneside.

The baton was picked up by Andrew ‘El cannon’ Buchanan, though, as he claimed his second six-round war draw since returning to the professional ranks, and Basi Razaq who claimed his third straight stoppage success since turning professional. There was also a points success for Darlington fighter Steven Cooper.

The following afternoon at Rainton Meadows, returning promoter Jeffries put on his ‘Cream of the Crop’ show which was highlighted by Sunderland’s Glenn Foot and West Rainton’s Martin Ward, the duo excelling on their differing ring returns.

For Foot, an unfortunate injury has curtailed him of late, but the former prizefighter winner returned with a six-round points success over the ever-durable journeyman William Warburton.

Both fighters gave more than their all in what was a heavy-hitting contest and one that could really have gone either way with a little more power behind those big punches.

What Ward lacked in power he made up for in style, finesse and definite passion. Returning after that world title setback earlier in the year against Stuey Hall in Newcastle, the former British and Commonwealth champion competed in the super bantamweight division and looked very comfortable indeed.

Victory for Ward moves him to 19 wins and one draw from his 21 outings to date, and he saw off Ghanaian Isaac Owusu, who had fought Jason Cunningham and Liam Hanrahan in his last two outings.

Ward never looked liked disappointing and constantly had more than his more experienced opponent. The extra weight with the move up in weight helped him massively and, with this sort of comfort, big things will be expected in 2015.

Elsewhere on the card, Lyndon Watt was stopped very early in the second round of his clash with Roma Glowarcz and there were victories for other home fighters John Green (for whom his vociferous and excitable following from Teesside deserve a mention), Jonson McClumpha, and Thomas Essomba.

On the road, two regional fighters fell as Peter Cope was unsuccessful in his Northern vs. Southern Area champions clash with Andrew Townend in an English eliminator, being stopped in the fourth after twice hitting the canvass.

The same night (Saturday), Darlington’s Neil Hepper also took a chance on the road when he travelled to Doncaster and faced the experienced Kevin Hooper over six rounds. The Midlands Area champion and former English title challenger in two weight divisions had too much, however, and claimed the win.