By Peter Mann

THERE will be another Northern Area champion crowned next month when boxers from Tyneside and Teesside compete for super featherweight honours.

In what is one of two derby bouts on Phil Jeffries’ promotion at the Rainton Meadows Arena, Dougie Curran and John Green will battle it out for the title.

Curran is the more experienced but the latter has burst on to the pro scene over the past six-eight months and took Peter Cope the distance late last year in another title bout.

Curran has been unlucky with his fight career to date, often having had to take outings on the road at short notice and comes into the Area clash on the back of a 12 fight losing streak – that statistic will not faze him whatsoever. In fact, it will spur him on even more. He’s probably had more prep time for this than ever before as well.

“I’m really looking forward to this one,” said former English title challenger, Curran. “There’s a lot of work being done and I’m keeping my head down.

"We’ve both had a lot of notice for it so it will be who wants it the most because records don’t mean much, you just to keep focussed and get on with the job at hand. I’m hoping this can now be the first of many opportunities for me in what is a new start under (Phil) Jeffries.”

Green's is a different story completely. The Teessider trained at the DBMA in Darlington under Paul Hamilton is still very much a novice fighter, the loss to Cope in November was one of only five outings for the 25-year-old. This will be his second Northern Area outing in less than six months.

“I do feel as though I am doing something right and it’s great that I can get two title opportunities so soon into my career,” said Green.

“This fight will be a totally different one to the one against Cope, I didn’t feel as though my fitness levels were at their strongest whereas now my sole concentration is on the fight at hand without distractions. I rate Curran and his record will not get to me, he’s experienced and had a good amateur record so I’ll be expecting a hard challenge from him.”

On the card, including the Curran-Green Northern Area title derby will be Tom Whitfield-Daniel Cope, Martin and Tommy Ward, Thomas Essomba, Jordan King, Lee Mould, Isaac MacLeod and many others. Tickets are on sale now priced from £35 and are available from all fighters on the show.

ON Friday night the Ramside Hall Hotel hosted an Amateur Charity Boxing night co-hosted by Paul Lysaght’s Durham University Boxing Club and Alex Oliver (TTW Coach of the Year) with his Brandon Boxing Club (TTW Club of the Year). The show was in aid of Macmillan Cancer and Alex’s lovely daughter, Kara-Mai’s Trinity School.

With 11 bouts on offer, three of which were girls, and a three course meal for the sell-out crowd, few would have left disappointed.

The standout performances for Brandon were ‘the Jackal’ Karl Turner who claimed  a unanimous decision win against Ross Hale and John Dixon who had a narrow split decision success over Sean Nelson; for the University Mulambu Makani shone when winning a ‘derby affair’ with Brandon’s Peter Hardman and Georgia O’Connor was on fire for the girls when representing Brandon.

Coach of the year Alex Oliver said: “Bar Karl they were all back in the gym on Sunday morning and ready to go again, some of who will be back out later this month in fact.

“It was a fantastic show though and we had a good 350 seated and near 100 standing with people still asking for tickets right up until the start of the show itself.

"The success we brought means we will look at making this an annual event and then maybe put on a summertime open-air show as well. “

Co-host Paul Lysaght of Durham Boxing For Life said: “I’ve been doing this here for some six years now and this has to be the best we’ve done. 

“We had some quality boxing and coaching on what was a well-managed night for deserved charities and it was really nice for all community groups and university groups to be able to come together like that which was amazing.

“I’d like to thank John Adamson of Ramside Hall for their continued help and support and Beth Rogers from the student union who has worked really hard on this.”

Awards were handed out for Best Junior, Courtney Scott of Newbiggin; Best University, Mulambu

Makani (University); and Best Brandon, John Dixon, and as Alex Oliver, coach at Brandon Boxing Club said afterwards: “We are a new club and this is just the beginning.”