Return of boxing 'Muratti' edging closer

THE prospect of Guernsey's and Jersey's top boxing prospects going head-to-head on an annual basis is inching closer.

Four of Jersey's finest will be in the island next month when the ICG Centre makes its bow as Guernsey's new boxing venue after passing its test in the white-collar format at the Hougue du Pommier venue this summer.

While it will not quite be the return to the halcyon days of the CI Championships when St George's Hall was packed to the rafters, nor a full-scale boxing 'Muratti' which is the dream of many within the sport, the Amalgamated Boys' Club are now working ever closer with the Jersey boxing scene and are targeting 500 punters for the first show at their new venue on Saturday 28 September.

Modern-day restrictions on matching boxers in terms of skill and experience make it hugely difficult to stage a full-on 'Muratti', but with the new working arrangements, the possibility of such a hotly-competitive occasion is feasible at some time soon.