Big time boxing returns to the Waterside in over two decades

Rochesters Amateur Boxing Club continues to make history.
By Kevin McLaughlin
Published 27th Sep 2014, 10:58 BST
Gary Martin, left, and Nigel Hagon, coaches, pictured with some of the members of Rochester's Amateur Boxing Club, from left, front row, Marcus McCorkell, Jake McCloskey, D Jay Dougherty and Andrew Beil, back row, Jordan Simpson, Suzy Kennedy, Justin Black and Seamus Kearney, who are looking forward to the Gala Boxing Show in the Waterside Theatre, which takes place next month. INLS3814-114KMGary Martin, left, and Nigel Hagon, coaches, pictured with some of the members of Rochester's Amateur Boxing Club, from left, front row, Marcus McCorkell, Jake McCloskey, D Jay Dougherty and Andrew Beil, back row, Jordan Simpson, Suzy Kennedy, Justin Black and Seamus Kearney, who are looking forward to the Gala Boxing Show in the Waterside Theatre, which takes place next month. INLS3814-114KM
Gary Martin, left, and Nigel Hagon, coaches, pictured with some of the members of Rochester's Amateur Boxing Club, from left, front row, Marcus McCorkell, Jake McCloskey, D Jay Dougherty and Andrew Beil, back row, Jordan Simpson, Suzy Kennedy, Justin Black and Seamus Kearney, who are looking forward to the Gala Boxing Show in the Waterside Theatre, which takes place next month. INLS3814-114KM

The club, which only recently celebrated it’s first anniversary, are now well down the line to organising their first official boxing competition.

The Waterside club will host an Ulster Select on Saturday, October 4, at the Waterside Theatre, with tickets now on sale priced at £5 or £8 pay-at-door on the evening.

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For one man who can’t wait for the gala show to get underway is coach Gary Martin.

“We are hoping to put on 10 bouts, we really can’t wait and we just want to put on a very special show,” stated Martin.

“All different age groups, starting from 10-year-old’s up to mid-30’s and we are matching boxers from our club to compete against an Ulster Select squad.

“Our plan is to get them matched against local boxers from all the different clubs in the county.”

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Martin also admitted that after rummaging through the archives next month’s show will be the first boxing event held in the Waterside for over 25 years.

“It will be our anniversary show and having done a bit of digging, it’s actually the first boxing show that a club from the Waterside has hosted an event for over 30 years, so yeah it’s going to be a special night for us,” he added.

Recently crowned world champion Carl Frampton officially opened the club last summer and since then they haven’t looked back in fact they have had boxers in 14 tournaments throughout the year and they also have three district champs.

“We have three district champions already in Jordan Simpson, Marcus McCorkell and Jake McCloskey, now these guys had never boxed before, we also have an undefeated female boxer in Suzy Kennedy.

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“We are getting a nice nucleus of boxers and we’ll be entering a lot more tournaments this year.

“We entered 14 in our debut season and we are looking to enter even more this season, as we are getting a real good influx of boxers, but having said that we are always looking for new members to join.”

The tickets, which are sure to sell well, have gone on sale at the Theatre box-office and can be purchased from Gary or other coaches Nigel Hagon and Martin Mancini.