Jennings to face London area champ

MATT JENNINGS, the popular light-heavyweight, tops the bill at tonight's opening show of a new dinner boxing season at St Pierre Park Hotel. But if it wasn't for the efforts of coach Graham Guilbert, Jennings might not have been in action at all.

'I've rung up 72 clubs in the UK trying to get him a bout.

'No one will box him because they know he is such a powerhouse,' said Guilbert.

Fortunately for local fans, they will see Jennings in action against London area champion Ben Campbell.

'It should be a good fight. Jennings is always impressive and Campbell comes with a very good pedigree,' added Guilbert.

Apart from Jennings, the rest of the Amalgamated boxers will face fighters from the Manchester Select team.

'Manchester have a massive catchment area to choose boxers from so I imagine they will be as strong as always. But everyone at our club has been training well so they should all be good bouts.'

Local boxers making their debut tonight after five months' hard training will be Shane Le Patourel and Blane Queripel at light-middleweight and middleweight respectively.

Steve Mourant, on the other hand, will be returning to the ring for the first time in years at heavyweight after spending the last seven months training for a comeback.

Guilbert is looking forward to the evening and especially Gage Morebaker in the first fight of the night.

'Gage looks like a really classy youngster so his match should be a good opener.'

Another local boxer in action over the weekend, but in the UK, will be 15-year-old James Woolnough.

Woolnough will be heading to Bristol to contest the Western Counties junior title at 54kg.

'His opponent is the same weight and experience and it's going to be tough but you have to expect that in a title fight.

'James won a fight in Manchester two weeks ago against a lad from Barnstaple who was 2.5kg heavier and had five bouts more experience, so he's in good form.'

Should Woolnough win he will continue to the quarter-finals of the Golden Belt Junior ABA Championships in Liverpool, alongside fellow youngster Bradley Watson who has received a bye into the quarter-final stage.