Six of the Best - NE prospects with a big 2016 ahead

You might not know it, but North East boxing is booming. It really is.

We here at British Boxing Blog aim to cover all aspects of British boxing, however being two lads from Gateshead, we are passionate about our local fight scene and will endeavour to give as much coverage as we possibly can to fighters and promoters.

The North East fight scene has been undergoing something of a quiet but steady renaissance now for a few years, and although it can be difficult to gain national recognition for our boxers, there is a thriving local scene here in the North East.

2015 has been a healthy year for our local promoters, with Phil Jeffries in Sunderland and Steve Wraith in Gateshead putting on very strong, competitive small hall shows. A particular favourite for this writer was the all Sunderland affair between Glenn Foot and Kirk Goodings, a barnstorming fight, which if televised would certainly be a FOTY contender.

With no lack of local talent, and plenty of live action for North East fight fans to get their teeth into, the one thing the region has lacked in recent years is a crossover star; a fighter that can take the sport from the local sport halls and club venues, into the mainstream and gain national attention.

We have had brief flirtations over the past few years – Stuart Hall’s brief IBF Bantamweight World Championship reign and the signing of Bradley Saunders (whose career we really hope to see reignite in 2016) to Matchroom Boxing brought a couple of arena shows to Newcastle, but sadly there has been no long lasting legacy, no big name for the region to rally behind – until now.

We here at BBB truly believe that there is an exciting crop of young North East fighters who are destined to achieve big things in the sport, and for whom 2016 could be a career defining year.

Here is our “Six of the best” North East prospects to watch out for in 2016.

6) Warren Baister – The former Team GB amateur star has recently turned professional, making his debut on the "Who’s Fooling Who?" undercard in Liverpool. Warren has signed with MGM Marbella and will be training there occasionally but will spend the majority of his time training in Dave Binns’ gym at Peterlee. There are high hopes for Warren in the paid ranks and we hope he can add some real sparkle to the Cruiserweight scene. Warren’s second prd fight will be on 20th November at Rainton Meadows arena.

Record: 1(1)-0

Division: Cruiserweight

Twitter: @WarrenBaister

5) Jonson McClumpha – Another extremely talented local fighter who trains out of the Dave Binns gym at Peterlee, we here at BBB have been big fans of Jonson for a while. 2015 looks like it will end on a high note for Jonson, who has put together a fine sequence of wins since cruelly losing an English title fight in December 2014 on a harsh early points decision after suffering an horrific first round cut. A stylish boxer with a lovely jab and shot selection that is second to none, 2016 is a crucial year in Jonson’s career and he needs to be stepped up and placed in meaningful fights in order to get the most out of his obvious talent. He also needs to find a weight division to call home, recent flirtations with Light Heavy have been fruitful but Jonson will be the first to admit that his long term future will be back at Middleweight or Super Middle. He will round his year off looking for a third successive victory on November 20th at Rainton Meadows.

Record: 10(3)-1-1

Division: Middleweight/Super Middleweight

Twitter: @jons125

4) Anthony Nelson – Anthony is the most decorated professional boxer on the list, being the current holder of the English and Commonwealth Super Flyweight titles. Despite not technically being a prospect (he’s aged 30) we have included him in the list as he only turned pro at the age of 27. He certainly benefited from Matchroom’s brief flirtation with the region, winning the Commonwealth belt on the Anthony Joshua undercard at Newcastle Arena and catching the eye of Eddie Hearn in doing so. 2016 will be the year in which Anthony kicks on and there is no shortage of options for him at the lower weights. A potential NE derby against Thomas Essomba certainly gets the juices flowing!

Record: 11(2)-0

Division: Super Flyweight

Twitter: @proboxbabyface

3) Thomas Essomba – The previously mentioned Thomas is a fighter that we absolutely adore here at BBB. Thomas is a two time Cameroonian Olympian and has captured the hearts of North East fight fans since he made the region his home after the London 2012 games. Thomas’ talent has always been undoubted, and we have watched him progress rapidly since first setting eyes on him in summer 2014. The loyalty and dedication that Phil Jeffries and his team have shown to Thomas deserves huge credit, they believe in him totally and have backed him all the way. Thomas rounded off 2015 by securing a stunning victory in Sheffield against the hugely talented local fighter Waleed Din, winning the Commonwealth Flyweight title in the process. Jeffries has promised to push Thomas all the way to world level – we look forward to watching the journey progress in 2016.

Record: 6(2)-0

Division: Flyweight

Twitter: Not on but promoter Phil Jeffries can be found @jaffas1

2) Lewis Ritson – Lewis Ritson is a name which will become more familiar with NE fight fans in 2016, and he’s a lightweight prospect that we at BBB have high hopes for. Lewis trains under the tutelage of former Ricky Burns trainer Billy Nelson in Glasgow, a man who certainly knows how to guide a lightweight to the top echelons of the sport. Billy has high hopes for Lewis, recently telling us that he believes his man is one of the best boxers he has worked with. High praise indeed. Lewis is naturally big at the weight and will certainly be an imposing figure for many lightweights in this country. Lewis is hoping to push on for domestic honours in 2016 and with him boxing in such a competitive weight division in this country, there are certainly many exciting fights available to him in years to come. For now though, the learning curve continues and a Northern Area title is certainly a realistic target in early 2016.

Record: 5(1)-0

Division: Lightweight

Twitter: @lewis_ritson

1) Jeff Saunders – Simply put, the most exciting prospect the region has at this moment in time. Jeff (younger brother of Bradley) has made a stunning start to life in the pro ranks, stopping his first four opponents in the first round. We have watched Jeff’s fledgling pro career from close quarters, taking in his fights in Manchester and Gateshead from ringside and his hand speed, movement and devastating power is a sight to behold. Jeff is always in top physical condition due to his work with dedicated fitness coach Ian Glass, and he has been kept regularly active in 2015, a testament to both coach and boxer. Recently Jeff took the rather unusual and slightly risky step for a young prospect and fought in South Africa in only his fifth pro fight. Another win duly followed for Jeff, and this is the measure of his own confidence and that of the team around him, that they had no qualms in putting Jeff in an unusual environment at this early stage. Guided by Eddie Hearn nationally, with Steve Wraith overseeing things on a local level, not to mention the experience around him with his father and brother, 2016 should see Jeff remain active and become a name that is not only recognised locally but nationally as well. Jeff Saunders can go as far as he wants in this sport.

Record: 5(5)-0

Division: Super Lightweight

Twitter: @JeffSaundersPro