Fighting Chance boost the ranks
MOVE FOLLOWS TOP SEDGEFIELD SHOW
From the left, Davey Ferguson Jnr, Ronnie Rowe and Chad Ellis signing their contracts for Fighting Chance Promotions FRESH from their fantastic show at Sedgefield’s Hardwick Hall last weekend, Fighting Chance have added two new boxers to their ever-growing stable. Last weekend saw Billy Snaith capture the Northern Area title after an emphatic points win in the highly-anticipated grudge match with rival Dan Cope. Meanwhile, Jeff Saunders - regularly championed in this column as one of the brightest prospects in the region - won his first professional boxing title as he produced a stunning fifth-round body shot-finish to capture the vacant challenge belt against Birmingham’s Chris Truman. Now Fighting Chance has grown, adding Davey Ferguson Jnr and Chad Ellis to their stable of fighters. Steve Wraith, the Tyneside promoter who co-promoted the Hardwick Hall show, has now joined Fighting Chance too. Ferguson Jnr might be familiar to some North East boxing fans. He had two pro fights in 2012-13 but lost them both, with questions surrounding his commitment. His older brother, also David Ferguson, was a heavyweight and might be remembered by some for his excellent display in one of the early Prizefighter tournaments. Now young Davey has decided to return and is determined to put his last attempts in the paid ranks behind him. He said: “I am over the moon and looking forward to boxing for Ronnie (Rowe - head coach at Fighting Chance) again. “I used to box for him a while ago andd h he k knows me i insideid out.t Wh When I fought as a professional the first time around I was stubborn within myself.
“Instead of just swallowing my pride and coming back stronger, I took the easy way out and quit.
“I have had a lot of people getting on at me to get back in to it though so the time is right to go again.”
Last time around Davey boxed at quite clearly too high a weight, which is why his commitment was called into question. He lost to journeyman William Warburton and Matt Seawright but visibly gave away height and reach to both and struggled to get in range.
He has a great team behind him now and hopefully they all combine to support him to make a better fist of things this time. With the Fighting Chance stable behind him, he will not train fulltime with Rowe and the rest of the team at the Felling Gym.
He will instead train with Nikki Gittus at his North Shields gym.
Rowe also used to train Gittus as an amateur though, so his wisdom will still b be influential.i fl ti l DaveyD can t takek h heartt f from many top boxers who started with defeats and still went on to big things.
Sky pundit Johnny Nelson, for example, lost his first three fights but went on to not only win the cruiserweight world title but he also defended it 13 times - a record which was recently levelled by Marco Huck.
Meanwhile, Chad Ellis is a former Spennymoor amateur who will train with Rowe and Garry Barr at Fighting Chance’s Felling Gym.
Ellis said: “I have been boxing for 11 years and it is something I have always wanted to do.
“My last fight was at 69kg (super welterweight at pro), so whatever weight they want me at around there (is the weight he will fight at).”
Rowe added: “Chad is a young lad and an exciting prospect for us.
“He has a bright future and we are looking at big things for him and for Davey. We will get this season over with and he (Chad) will be let loose.
“We are impressed with him and his abilitiesbili i and,d as a F Ferryhillhill l lad,d h he comes with Kyle Redfearn and they do a lot together.”
Meanwhile, the link-up between Steve Wraith and Fighting Chance can only be a good thing - if last weekend’s show is anything to go by.
Certainly putting on bigger and better shows is something Wraith is hoping this partnership will lead to.
He said: “I am delighted to be teaming up with Fighting Chance Promotions.
“We have worked together well over the last two years and there is a trust there.
“We both have a healthy stable of fighters with more to come and we feel joining forces will help us raise the bar for shows.”
Hopefully this means there will be plenty more shows like last week’s to come with plenty of fighters in the region clamouring to be in big fights like the one Snaith and Cope shared.
No doubt Ferguson and Ellis are also hoping to be involved in those type of fights too.