British Champ Hamilton Backs Marston For Victory At York Hall On 5th July

Woolwich, South London’s Marianne Marston will be back in action at York Hall this coming Friday, where she faces Karina Kopinska on the Dave Murphy, in association with Acourtier events, ‘Independence Day’ event.

Back in April Marianne made short work of her professional debut, by stopping Gabriella Roman in just one minute and forty seven seconds of the first round.

On the night there was a large contingent of her TRAD TKO gym mates cheering her on from ringside, including British Light Welterweight Champion Darren Hamilton and a brace of Prizefighter Champions, Cruiserweight Wadi Camacho and Light Middleweight Larry Ekundayo.

When it was announced that Marianne’s next fight will be at York Hall on Friday, 5^th July, one of those aforementioned stars, Darren Hamilton, was more than a little disappointed that he couldn’t be there to support her, with good reason, as he will be just twenty four hours from a huge fight of his own, when he defends his British crown, at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, against Adil Anwar.

Marianne and Darren go back a long way, virtually from the day the ‘Golden Girl’ returned from Philadelphia in 2009. They first trained side by side at a gym near London Bridge, then later at the TRAD TKO Boxing Gym in Canning Town.

It was following yet another full on sparring session, at Johnny Eames’ famous fight factory, that Darren spoke of Marianne’s debut fight as well as his disappointment that he would not be ringside when she fights on July 5^th.

“I was there ringside when Marianne fought in April and I think it was a spectacular debut for the ‘Golden Girl’.

I have to say I wasn’t really surprised, Marianne was really ready for that fight.

She’s always in the gym and her coach Barry (Smith) pushes her as hard as any of the guys here at the TRAD TKO Gym.

Marianne may be the only girl that trains here full time, but she doesn’t get treated any differently than any of the guys, she wouldn’t have it any other way, she’s a boxer, a true warrior.

I watched Marianne sparring Angel McKenzie the week before her fight. She made sparring look easy, even against someone that is very experienced, I mean Angel’s a couple of weights heavier and has fought for World titles, I say fought but of course she is fighting for the World title on Friday.

Marianne earned her win the hard way, she trained hard, sparred hard and it showed the way she fought, I mean she stopped the other girl in the first round, which is proof in the pudding.

She’s been in the gym since the Monday after her fight, preparing for this next fight, even though she didn’t know when it would be, or even who against, so she’s going to be even more prepared for whoever she faces on the 5^th July.

Unfortunately I can’t be there when she fights on the 5^th July at York Hall, as I’m defending my title on the 6^th in Liverpool, but I’ll be there in spirit cheering the ‘Golden Girl’ to victory once again.”

Darren Hamilton defends his British Light Welterweight crown against Adil Anwar, at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Saturday 6^th July 2013, which will be broadcast live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Channel 437 and Virgin Channel 546), Tickets, priced £35, £50, £80 and Ringside £180 are available on-line from www.frankmaloney.com

Marianne Marston versus Karina Kopinska will feature on the Dave Murphy, in association with Acourtier Events, promoted ‘Independence Day’ event, headlined by the historic Jennifer Retzke versus Angel McKenzie GBC Light Middleweight World title clash, at York Hall in Bethnal Green, London on Friday, 5^th July 2013

Tickets, priced £65 (Ringside), £35 (Floor) and £30 (Balcony) are available on-line at www.tkoboxoffice.com, www.acourtier.com and www.mariannemarston.com or in person at the TRAD TKO Boxing Gym in Canning Town, London E16 4SA - www.tkoboxinggym.com - or the Ringtone Gym in Euston, London NW1 2PB - www.ringtonehealthandfitness.com - Tel: 07960 850645 or 07557 641597 for further information.

www.mariannemarston.com

Twitter: @MarianneMarston

Facebook: www.facebook.com/marianne.marston

Peter McDonagh: I’ll Take Skeete Places He’s Never Been And Become A Three Weight Champion

Former three time, two weight Southern Area Champion Peter ‘Connemara Kid’ McDonagh is quietly confident that he will add a fourth title, at a third weight, to his collection this coming Friday, when he takes on unbeaten rising star Bradley Skeete for the vacant Southern Area Welterweight crown, at the Frank Warren promoted ‘Three Lions’ show at York Hall in Bethnal Green.

McDonagh has an established Championship record going right back to the mid-noughties, having won the Southern Area Lightweight title back in 2004 with a close points victory over Jon Honney before going on to secure the Irish Lightweight Crown, with a sensational sixth round stoppage of Michael Gomez, two years later. 

In 2008 McDonagh vacated the Irish crown to unsuccessfully challenge Italian Giuseppe Lauri for his European Union Light Welterweight crown, before out boxing Lee ‘Lights Out’ Purdy to secure his second Southern Area title, this time the Light Welterweight version.

The following year McDonagh unsuccessfully Lenny Daws for the vacant English Light Welterweight title, then shortly after once again facing old foe Lee Purdy, this time for the vacant Southern Area Welterweight title. This time it was Purdy that came away victorious, and at the same time preventing McDonagh from making history by becoming a three weight Champion.

in 2010 McDonagh once again stepped onto the International stage to unsuccessfully challenge France’s Yvan Mendy for the vacant World Boxing Federation Intercontinental Light Welterweight title.

It wouldn’t be until 2011 before the Connemara Kid was back in Championship action, when he unsuccessfully defended his Southern Area Light Welter strap against Darren ‘Mr R&B’ Hamilton

Later in the year Peter took part in the highly successful Prizefighter series, only to draw eventual tournament victor Yassine El Maachi in the quarterfinal.

With just the three outings so far in 2012, won one and lost two, McDonagh is clearly the underdog going into Friday’s fight. However the ever likable Irishman feels that the underdog label may be doing him a big favour, when he spoke briefly following a training session at the TRAD TKO Boxing Gym in Canning Town.

“It’s a very good fight for me, it’s gonna be a tough one, but I love ‘em tough and if I can pull it off I’ll become a three weight Southern Area Champion, which is big in itself.

I’ve had the belt at Lightweight, Light Welterweight and now get a second chance to add the Welterweight belt.

I don’t know if anyone has done that before, but it’s a big opportunity for me and I feel I’m in there with a good chance of making history.

Bradley Skeete’s a good fighter, he’s unbeaten but he’s not been there before, I have and I think that could be the difference.

I’ve had plenty of hard ten and twelve round fights in my career and I’m the upset kid you know and come Friday I’ll take Bradley to places he’s never been to before.

Training here at the TRAD TKO has been great as ever, been getting plenty of great sparring with Jimmy and Mark’s (Tibbs) boys, had some sparring with Kevin (Mitchell) as he prepares for his big fight against  Ricky (Burns) the week after mine and some of their other boys as well as some sessions with Johnny’s (Eames) boys.

Here at the TRAD TKO we have just had a really successful weekend, with Charlie (Hoy), Tom (Baker), Wadi (Camacho) winning their fights, as well as Ian (Bailey) and Danny (Connor) both coming in as underdogs to capture Southern Area titles and Erick (Ochieng) retaining his English title in style.

Now I’ve just got to focus on the 14th September, if I can do a good job on Bradley Skeete then I’ll bring another title back to the gym and  hopefully then I’ll get a British title fight.

I’ve been a pro for eleven years and you know, I think this is my opportunity to go for it and come the 14th September that’s just what I’m gonna do, I’m going for it.”

Peter McDonagh versus Bradley Skeete, for the vacant Southern Area Welterweight title, is the main support bout for TRAD TKO’s Billy Joe Saunders, as he defends his Commonwealth Middleweight Crown against Jarrod Fletcher, at the Frank Warren Promoted ‘Three Lions’ event at York Hall in Bethnal Green on Friday 14th September.

Supporting the two title fights are no less than four further unbeaten boxers from the TRAD TKO Boxing Gym, Frankie Buglioni, Gary Corcoran, Billy Morgan and Ediz Hussein, who are joined by Mitchell Smith and Steve O’Meara, all against yet to be named opponents.

Tickets, priced £40 (Standard seated) and £60 (Ringside) for the Frank Warren promoted Three Lions at York Hall on Friday the 14th of September 2012 are available on-line at www.tkoboxoffice.com or in person from the TRAD TKO Boxing Gym, Gillian House, Stephenson Street, Canning Town, London E16 4SA.