Maidstone’s all right for fighting

Professional boxing has a big future in the county town after a successful show. The Mote Park Destruction bill attracted a near sell-out crowd approaching 1,200 at Maidstone Leisure Centre last Saturday night. All seven Kent boxers claimed points wins, with Grant Dennis and Dave Jones collecting titles and Maidstone’s Chris Matthews impressing in front of his home fans. It was the first professional show in the town for 16 years – and more will follow. Promoter Joe Elfidh, who has held previous Kent bills at Medway Park, said: “It was brilliant, basically a sell-out. We had a lot of people turn up to pay on the door.

“We even had to put a few more tables out at the last minute.

“To be honest, when I first thought about Maidstone, I was thinking that most of the fighters are from Medway and Sheppey but it didn’t stop people turning out.

“It’s a great setting, a more classy place. I thought it was just a sports centre but it’s more like a theatre.

“All my shows should be here from now on. We’re going to be back in Maidstone around October, possibly the 1st.”

Maidstone will host Southern Area title fights if Elfidh gets his way after Dennis and Jones collected international challenge belts at middleweight and heavyweight.

Elfidh said: “I want to bring Southern Area fights to Kent.

“I don’t want to rush Dave but he’s up to 15th in the British rankings. He’s only had seven fights and the guys ahead of him are all in double figures but he’s doing well.

“The kid he was up against tried to spoil the fight but I thought Dave looked different class.

“As for Grant, when I look at him, he’s quite capable of winning Southern Area.

“The kid he boxed on Saturday was a top-class amateur, we knew that and that’s what we wanted.

“I wasn’t sure when I saw him at the weigh-in but the kid was awesome.

“He got the knockdown but Grant stepped up his game and, for me, he won every round.”