10 key facts about British super-bantamweight champion Thomas Patrick Ward
1. Thomas Patrick Ward won the belt with an upset nine-round technical decision over James "Jazza" Dickens back in May. A bad cut to Ward's left eye, caused by an accidental headclash, forced the premature finish.
2. Ward makes his first defence tonight on Frank Warren's stacked Newcastle show headlined by Liam Smith v Liam Williams and broadcast by BT Sport and BoxNation.
3. From a traveller background but based in West Rainton, Ward has known Tyson Fury and Billy Joe Saunders from a vwery young age.
4. His eldest brother, Martin Ward, challenged for the IBF bantamweight title against then-ruler Stuey Hall, in 2014. In shades of his brother's contest with Dickens, Ward sustained a horrible cut, but early on, and the bout was ended in the second and rendered a technical draw. Martin also dropped a split decision to Dickens which Tommy avenged.
5. A superb junior amateur with Birtley, his unpaid record was 60-4. Never boxing as a senior, Ward instead turned pro at 18.
6. He quit the amateur code after missing out on a GB Development place, a snub rumoured to be due to one of the coaches believing Tommy was a troublemaker, after he took to using a pro headguard and groin protector.
7. He is trained by Neil Fannon in Hartlepool and managed by David Garside.
8. A slick and agile boxer, unbeaten Ward only has two inside-schedule victories from 21 wins.
9. You can follow him on Twitter (tommy2ward) and Instagram (thomaspatrickward).
10. Ward is ranked 12th by the WBO and wants to move on to international level should he retain against Davis.