Double title fight action to be televised live on Freesports TV this Friday night in Sheffield
Promoter Dennis Hobson starts the New Year on a high, with his first show of 2018 involving a British and English title fight, as well as being broadcast live on Freesports TV (Sky channel 424 and via Freeview/Youview on channel 95).
At Sheffield’s Ponds Forge Arena this Friday, February 2, Barnsley’s Josh Wale will make the second defence of his British bantamweight crown when he faces Lincolnshire’s Bobby Jenkinson. Also on the card, local man Loua Nassa will attempt to win the vacant English super-flyweight belt against Guernsey’s Brad Watson.
Hobson teamed up with free-to-air channel Freesports TV in October last year, when Commonwealth middleweight champion Sam Sheedy lost his title to fellow Sheffield fighter Liam Cameron in eight action-packed rounds. The feedback after the event from boxing fans and Freesports TV viewers was incredible, and Dennis says the bar has been set high for future events.
“We’ve set our standard now after the Cameron and Sheedy fight. So, I’m really looking forward to this show because we’ve got two very competitive title fights. The two headline bouts are both very tight, and in terms of value for money, they are top draw. They should both be cracking contests and if they are even nearly as good as Sheedy versus Cameron, then they’ll be great entertainment. You can rarely watch top quality boxing these days unless you pay a subscription, so having a British and English title fight on free-to-air TV is a real coup for fight fans.”
A pro since 2006, Wale’s childhood ambition was always to win the Lonsdale Belt, with the 29-year-old finally achieving his dream in July last year. With just nine defeats in 36 outings, ‘The Outlaw’ is renowned as an entertaining, all-action fighter and will give everything at the Ponds Forge Arena to ensure that opponent Jenkinson, 11-3-1 (2), doesn’t shatter his fairy tale story.
‘Glamour Boy’ Watson has it all to prove when he steps in against Nassa. The Channel Islander hasn’t fought since November 2016 and, although he has only lost twice in 12 contests, both those defeats came in his last two fights. Undefeated Steel City man Nassa, 10-0, will have the crowd behind him – as well as his four fighting siblings – and will believe victory over Watson could be the launchpad for major fights this coming year.
“Josh Wale will never be in a dull fight because he doesn’t know how to take a backwards step,” stated Hobson. “There’s guaranteed action and drama in that fight, Jenkinson is coming to cause an upset, and this fight won’t fail to entertain everyone watching on TV and in the arena.
“I also think the English title fight will be a cracker between two very hungry kids in Loua Nassa and Brad Watson. They both have something to prove; it’s the first time a kid from Guernsey has fought for an English title, and Loua is part of a family of five fighting brothers, who are all graduates and very intelligent. So, there are some great stories there, and this is a real value-for-money show. There are 18 million homes in the UK that can watch this show for free, hopefully we’ll have a great audience, and that will continue to grow as we start moving forward.
“For this coming year, I want to do some Scottish shows with Iain Wilson, and in the Northeast with Phil Jeffries and Dave Garside, because they are putting some cracking shows on up there. And in London we’ll be working with ‘Mo’ Prior from Warrior Boxing. So, we’re hoping to go up and down the country in 2018 and put shows on, with the plan being a show a month. It’s all growing and developing as we speak, but for this first show of 2018 I’m working with Stefy Bull, and it should be an absolute belter and get the year off to a bang.”
Dennis Hobson Promotions presents Josh Wale defending his British bantamweight title against Bobby Jenkinson, and Loua Nassa and Brad Watson contesting the vacant English super-flyweight title, at Sheffield’s Ponds Forge Arena on February 2.
For ticket information call 0114 243 4443.
The show will be broadcast live on Freesports TV. For more information visit www.freesports.tv