Junior will be a hit

North West Evening Mail4th November, 2009

THERE will be a distinct military feel to Barrow Amateur Boxing Club's fourth sell-out show at the Nines.

The show - with special guest and former world champion Junior 'The Hitter' Witter - is on Saturday and because it is so close to Remembrance Sunday all profits will be donated to the Help for Heroes fund.

In addition to representatives of the local Territorial Army unit being present, there will be some Second World War veterans, soldiers who have recently been on service in Afghanistan and other military personnel in desert combat uniform. Members of the Barrow Sea Cadets will play the Last Post and Reveille.

"Soldiers are fit and our club is dedicated to fitness," said BABC's Jeff Moses.

"You would be surprised at the number of coaches from visiting boxing clubs who are ex-Army."

The main guest on the night will be Whitter, whose rise through the boxing ranks saw him take the WBF light welterweight title within two years of turning professional.

His first defeat was to American Zab Judah - a fight he took at only nine days notice - on the undercard of Mike Tyson's clash with Lou Savarese in Glasgow. Witter, who is to visit the Barrow club's gym in Brook Street on Sunday to meet the club's members and help them train, went on to win the WBC light welterweight title and is now preparing to step up to welterweight in search of another world title.

The boxing show will have 19 bouts and will feature nine locals, including super heavyweights Ryan Wood, Liam Conroy, Ross Cooksey and Jason Hughes.

Ashton Coward will have his debut bout and the other Barrow ABC fighters in action will be Mike Swarbrick, Steven Eilbeck, Nathan Jasper and James McMeekin.

Clubs providing the opposition include the Amir Khan Gloves ABC.

John Sloane, a former BABC member and now making a name for himself in America with his drawings for Pretty Boy Promotions, will be supplying a gift for the auction.

Doors for the all-ticket event will open at 6pm, with the first bout scheduled for 8pm.

There will also be a collection bucket outside the Nines for anyone wishing to donate to the Help for Heroes fund.