The mouth-watering Manchester meeting between Ronnie Heffron and David Barnes has sadly had to be postponed due to a serious car collision involving Barnes. The former British champion is nursing a large number of injuries following Tuesday’s unfortunate accident and show promoter Dave Coldwell is thankful that Barnes’ fate was not a whole lot worse.
“David Barnes is lucky to be alive and I’m so grateful that he escaped from the crash without suffering fatal consequences,” revealed a relieved Coldwell. “I’ve spoke with David since the accident and his description of the crash means that someone up there is smiling down on him. His fight with Heffron can wait for another day but at the moment my thoughts are with David and his family as he starts his recovery.”
Fans of Heffron and Barnes who purchased tickets can obtain a refund from point of purchase but the Manchester show still goes ahead on October 12th and features local favourite Matthew Hatton, as he takes on Michael Lomax before embarking on a world title journey in 2013. A stellar undercard will also feature a number of Coldwell Boxing prospects including former ABA champion Hosea Burton and the professional debut of Liverpool’s Anthony Jevons.
“In the nine years that I’ve been promoting, Curtis Woodhouse’s fight with Dale Miles is one of the most exciting fights I’ve ever seen.” The gruelling battle, praised by promoter Dave Coldwell, which took place in June was as hot as anything that the British boxing summer delivered this year and earned widespread acclaim despite the lack of coverage it wrongfully lacked. The see-saw duel was eventually settled by Miles’ disturbing power but it showed Woodhouse had the stomach for warfare and his bravery has been rewarded as he tackles Derby’s Dave Ryan in an eliminator for the 10st English title. Coldwell is anticipating another Woodhouse epic.
“Curtis is a promoter’s dream because he’s not afraid to go in the ring and back his mouth up,” bragged the Coldwell Boxing head. “He’s worked his way up from the bottom of this sport and has had to put in a lot of effort to convince people that he was capable of fighting for titles and wasn’t just an ex-footballer who could fight a little bit. He gave Frankie Gavin a tough time and he put everything on the line against Miles and was a bit unlucky. He’s a fighter’s fighter and despite every setback he’s suffered, he’s always prepared to pick himself up and go again.”
Barring Amir Khan, the British light-welterweight landscape is littered with a cluster of domestic contenders vying to stamp their authority over a division that contains no dominant presence. Merseyside’s Steve Williams tackles Darren Hamilton for the Bristol man’s Lonsdale strap in October whilst lurking in the shadows are former champions, Ashley Theopane and Lenny Daws. Woodhouse currently finds himself in the pack chasing the aforementioned names but his promoter will stop at nothing in his attempts to deliver his charge a fairytale belt opportunity in the not so distant future.
“The goal I’ve set Curtis is to one day fight for a British title and I’m convinced that he has the talent and determination to go out and get it done. I’ve known from day one that there would be times when Curtis would come unstuck but that’s to be expected because he’s come to this sport without much boxing experience so he has to learn in every session and in every fight. I’m certain that there’ll be more setbacks along the way but that will make everything taste a whole lot sweeter when he does get to the level I know he can reach and that’s when we’ll know that every loss and setback has been worth it.”
“The Warrior Returns” featuring Curtis Woodhouse v Dave Ryan takes place at Rotherham’s Magna Centre on September 28th and also features exciting Rotherham prospect Nav Mansouri taking on Joe Rea. Tickets and more information can be found at WWW.COLDWELLBOXING.COM
Manchester’s Matthew Hatton is a fighter who has always done things the hard way. Living large portions of his career with the unwanted “little brother” tag attached to him, Hatton also endured a number of defeats that hampered his progress and perhaps suggested that he didn’t possess the necessary attributes to advance past the domestic dwelling that he found himself in.
With dogged persistence, Hatton made a rapid climb throughout the talent-laden welterweight division and this was rewarded with a lucrative opportunity against Mexican sensation Saul Alvarez up at light-middleweight. Despite being on the wrong end of the verdict, Hatton earned worldwide plaudits due to his stern resistance and the same toughness was on display in spring when Hatton went down to a wide points defeat against Sheffield’s Kell Brook. The Manchester favourite returns to action in his hometown on October 12th against Michael Lomax, and he’s desperate to wander amongst the world-class landscape once again.
“The Brook fight was not the real Matthew Hatton and I know that sounds like a cliché but things didn’t go as planned,” revealed the former European champion. “My nose was broken in the 2nd round and everything just went out the window following that. There was no way I could stick to the game-plan we had for Kell so I was basically just in there walking forward and trying to survive. I’m a firm believer that I’m a world-class fighter but I didn’t prove it against Kell. I’m happy to get in there and prove it to people once again.”
Hatton, reunited with former tutor Lee Beard following an amicable split from Bob Shannon, insists that he’s “a number of levels above” his upcoming foe but he also believes that the former amateur star possesses a decent enough pedigree to provide him with a solid test that will prepare him for his likely assault on the global rankings in 2013.
“There’s no way I can afford to look past Michael Lomax because on his day he’s capable of putting a good performance in but it’s never been my style to underestimate anybody. He was a great amateur who won many titles and he also won Prizefighter so that shows the experience he’s got. If I’m as good as I think I am then I really have to be dealing with the likes of Michael Lomax and be disposing of him in style. I’m a better fighter then what he is and I’ll show that once the first bell goes.”
Performing in Manchester for the first time in two years, “Magic” is delighted for the opportunity to be fighting in front of his loyal following and is grateful to promoter Dave Coldwell for giving him the chance to hopefully deliver a happy homecoming. Providing the support to a quality Manchester derby in the shape of David Barnes v Ronnie Heffron, Hatton is adamant that this will be a night to remember.
“There’s no better feeling then fighting in Manchester and It’s been a while since I’ve been there so hopefully I can put on a good show for them. My supporters have been great to me all the way throughout my career so it’s only fair that I get in there and give them a performance that they can remember. My mind is firmly set on October 12th and I’m looking forward to what should be a quality night. My fans will not be disappointed.”
“MADE IN MANCHESTER” FEATURING MATTHEW HATTON V MICHAEL LOMAX AND DAVID BARNES V RONNIE HEFFRON TAKES PLACE AT THE BOWLERS IN MANCHESTER ON OCTOBER 12TH AND TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED AT WWW.COLDWELLBOXING.COM. FOLLOW DAVE COLDWELL ON TWITTER VIA @DAVIDCOLDWELL
After already delivering a potentially autumn classic in the shape of Curtis Woodhouse v Dave Ryan on September 28th, Coldwell Boxing has refused to rest on its principles as it provides another possible scorcher just two weeks later as Manchester pair Ronnie Heffron and David Barnes will put it all on the line in what is set to be a memorable derby at the city’s atmospheric Bowlers venue. Dave Coldwell, who promotes Barnes, is certain the occasion will bring the best out of his former two-time British champion.
“This is the type of challenge that David needs and I’ve got no doubt that we’ll see him back to his best when he’s in there with Heffron,” predicted Coldwell. “This is the type of fight that excites fans and I’m hoping the TV companies are watching because they’re going to find out what Coldwell Boxing is all about. We wanted a hard fight for David and we wanted a fight that was going to bring out the fans. It only took one phone call to make the fight and that shows you how easy fights can be made.”
The meeting of the highly popular North West fighters is a crossroads battle that sees Heffron placing his perfect ledger at stake as he takes a leap in class to tackle Barnes, who was once considered one of British boxing’s brightest young stars. With wins over respected names such as Kevin McIntyre and James Hare, Barnes was a prominent figure during Manchester’s boxing boom of last decade and he is aware that failure against his local rival will put a huge stumbling block in the path of any return to the domestic title league. His promoter believes that is one of the key reasons why this fight will provide quality entertainment.
“The beauty of this fight is that both boxers are going in there with a point to prove. Ronnie is the youngster with a lot of hype and he has to beat Barnes if he is to fulfil all the expectations that people have placed on his shoulders. For David, he wants to win the Lonsdale title again and if he’s to do that then a man of his experience really has to be defeating the young prospects who want his spot. This is a fight that excites me a lot and I just can’t wait for the first bell to go on October 12th.”
“MADE IN MANCHESTER” COMES TO THE BOWLERS ON OCTOBER 12TH AND FEATURES DAVID BARNES VS RONNIE HEFFRON. A QUALITY UNDERCARD INCLUDES THE RETURN OF MATTHEW HATTON AND THE PROFESSIONAL DEBUT OF ANTHONY JEVONS. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.COLDWELLBOXING.COM. FOLLOW DAVE COLDWELL ON TWITTER VIA @DAVIDCOLDWELL. DAVID BARNES CAN BE FOLLOWED AT @BARNESY300
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