2008 Olympian Billy Joe Saunders has teamed up with renowned trainer Jimmy Tibbs ahead of his professional debut on February 28. The 19-year-old was initially working with amateur trainer Danny Hoy, but because of personal commitments he decided to step aside. Instead Tibbs will now take over the reins – and Saunders couldn’t be in better hands..
That’s because the East End trainer’s resume is like a Who’s Who of British boxing with names that include Nigel Benn (Former WBC World Super-Middleweight Champion), Chris Pyatt (Former WBO World Middleweight Champion), Charlie Magri (Former WBC World Flyweight Champion), Lloyd Honeyghan (Former Undisputed World Welterweight Champion), Frank Bruno (Former WBC World Heavyweight Champion), Barry McGuigan (Former WBA World Featherweight Champion) and Alex Arthur (Former WBO World Super-Featherweight Champion).
“To go to the Olympics at the age of just 19 was an incredible achievement,” said Tibbs. “In just two weeks or so working with me Billy Joe has picked up so much.
“He is as good as any of the fighters I have trained, he really is one hot prospect.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with him and he has got as good a chance to make it to the top as anyone I’ve worked with.
“Billy has also got a great promoter in Frank Warren, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he became a world champion like some of the other fighters I’ve worked with.”
Saunders, who will make his professional debut at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham at the end of the month will now be based at the world famous Peacock Gym, and will also spend time at the TKO in Canning Town.
“Jimmy is a fantastic trainer and he’s taught me a lot already,” said Saunders. “Danny did a fantastic job for me and I’m sorry to see him go, but I’ve got the ideal replacement in Jimmy.”
“He’s worked with the biggest names in British boxing over the last 30 years and if anyone can get me to the top it’s Jimmy.”
“I’m just knuckling down into some really hard training now and looking forward to entering the professional ranks on February 28.”
Saunders will be joined at the N.I.A by fellow 2008 Olympians James DeGale and Frankie Gavin on a card topped by Matt Skelton’s Commonwealth Heavyweight Title fight against Martin Rogan.
Tickets, priced at £30, £50, £100 and £150, are available from: Ticket Factory 0844 338 8000
JEFFRIES SIGNS WITH MALONEY
BRITAIN’S Olympic bronze medallist Tony Jeffries has signed a three year promotional deal with Frank Maloney.
‘Jaffa’, 23, will be managed by his father, Phil and trained by Joe Gallagher.
Jeffries will steal a march on his fellow Olympians when he becomes the first member of the British squad to have a professional contest.
He debut takes place at Barnsley Metrodome on Friday 27th February and will be televised live by Sky Sports.
Although the Sunderland boxer had Olympic glory at light-heavyweight he hopes to eventually campaign professionally as a super-middleweight.
Jeffries has 95 amateur fights, represented England 56 times, and won seven national titles, five European medals and nine multi-national medals before his success in Beijing.
After becoming the first Olympic medallist from Sunderland, Tony was voted BBC North East’s Sports Personality of the Year.
He said: “Once I met Frank it was a very easy decision for me to sign with him even though there was another offer that was better financially.
“It is not always about money and I felt comfortable talking with Frank. I had a list of things and he ticked every box.
“As soon as we met I knew he was serious and offered me that date at the end of February.
“I love training, but it feels even better in the gym now that I have a date for my first professional fight. All I want to do is get in the ring and fight.”
Maloney expects Jeffries to box at least twice in his hometown this year and added: “I am sure Tony is going to have many great nights in Sunderland that will always be remembered.
“The north-east has been starved of top quality professional boxing in recent times, but Tony is about to change all that.
“This is a long term project and I believe that with the right opponents picked by myself and his dad, Phil he will become a world champion.”
Maloney is the only British promoter to have two Olympic bronze medallists in his stable. Jeffries joins Ireland’s middleweight bronze winner Darren Sutherland.
Sutherland, 26, is also campaigning as a super-middleweight and a clash between the pair is a www.frankmaloney.com and 0871 226 1508.
Top of the bill on this historic night in Barnsley is Rendall Munroe’s (17-1) European super-bantamweight title defence against Spaniard Kiko Martinez (20-1). Also on the bill Derby’s Scott Haywood (19-2) challenges WBC ranked number three light welterweight Ajose Olusegun (25-0) for the Commonwealth light-welterweight title. natural.
Maloney predicted: “In 18-24 months it will be one of the biggest fights anywhere and there is nothing to stop it happening.”
For all the latest updates on the best prospect in British boxing check out Tony’s fantastic website www.tonyjeffries.com or www.frankmaloney.com
“Wild Thing” Ling books appointment with Solicitor
Earl “Wild Thing” Ling has an appointment with a solicitor on February 28th – and it’s guaranteed to come to blows. The Norwich cruiserweight will take to the ring in his hometown at the Norfolk Showground as he looks to end the unbeaten run of Dewsbury based solicitor Zahid Kahut.
It will be Ling’s first bout in over 3 years in a long career that stretches back to 1992 when he was a regular on Herbie Hide undercards in Norwich.
“To be honest sometimes it feels like I’ve been around since the pre war days never mind the Herbie Hide days,” joked the charismatic Ling. “When I made my debut back in 1992 boxing was booming in Norwich but I think it’s even better now at the moment, you have some very good fighters around. Take this next bill as an example, you have Jon Thaxton defending his European title and Danny McIntosh is another young guy coming through at Light Heavyweight. There’s a real buzz about the sport in Norwich again.”
Ling’s current record stands at 6 wins, 11 losses and 5 draws but he feels the bare stats don’t tell the whole story. “My record doesn’t look the best but quite a few of my defeats were down to injuries like cuts and even a broken ankle in one of my fights. In my last fight I ripped the anterior cruciate ligament in my right knee so I knocked it on the head after that but I’m feeling good at the moment and with boxing going so well in Norwich again I thought I’d comeback and give it one last go.”
Ling says he’s being realistic about his comeback ambitions and feels ending Kahut’s unbeaten record would be a good start. “I’m not coming back to win the world title or set the world alight but I’d like to have 2 or 3 fights and then fight for a minor title. I’m enjoying being back and although it’s a lot of hard work it’s also a lot of fun. I’ve no pretences about being a world beater but I’m always good value and I put a lot of bums on seats in Norwich because I’m an entertainer.
“They call me the ‘Wild Thing’ but I actually think I’m more a boxer than a fighter. Sometimes that goes out the window when I fight though and I’m nearly always in a good, exciting scrap. I’ll be 37 in March so a nice little win in Norwich would be an early birthday present.”
Ling’s time out of the ring in the last few years has allowed him to concentrate on his acting career and he will be hitting the big screen again in the summer.
“Acting is something I always wanted to do and I got my first role in 2003 playing a Russian hit man! I’ve been in a couple of BAFTA nominated films since and I play a guy called ‘Two Guns Tony’ in a Danny Dyer film coming out this summer called ‘Malice in Wonderland’. Obviously given my background I do tend to get typecast a bit so I normally end up playing the gangster or tough guy but I really enjoy it.
Featuring on the exciting undercard: Danny McIntosh v Matthew Barney for the English Light Heavyweight Title (subject to Boards approval), also appearing New Heavyweight Sensation Tyson Fury, Matthew Thirlwall, Lee Purdy and making his pro debut, ABA Senior Featherweight Champion 2008 & awarded the best boxer of the night Royston’s Bradley Evans.
Tickets for Ling – Kahut which is part of the undercard of Jon Thaxton’s first European title defence at the Norfolk Showground, Norwich on the 28th February are available from the Ticketline box office on 0871 424 4444 or via www.ticketline.co.uk.