BRADFORD’s Richard Dunn sports centre, named after the boxer who fought Muhammad Ali, could soon host boxing matches of its own.

There are plans to close down the leisure centre in the near future, with a replacement facility being built elsewhere in the city. But current owner Bradford Council has applied to vary its current licence, allowing it to add boxing and wrestling to the list of sports that can be held there before the centre shuts for good.

A Council spokesman told the Telegraph & Argus that it had decided to alter the current licence after promoters expressed interest in organising such events there.

Richard Dunn was living in Bradford when the opportunity of a lifetime presented itself: a night in the ring with Ali at Munich’s Olympiahalle.

Southpaw Dunn beat West Germany’s Bernd August to snatch the fight with the world heavyweight champion, and on May 24, 1976, the pair fought out a gripping five-round battle. Although he was beaten by the legendary pugilist, Dunn has described the night as “the best sporting moment of my life”.

The sports centre that bears his name is due to be closed, and the site sold off, once a replacement facility is built on the Sedbergh Playing Fields site between Cleckheaton Road and Huddersfield Road. A completion date has yet to be set for that development. The plans are part of a major shake-up of the district’s leisure facilities.

The owner of a local boxing gym says having boxing events in the facility, off Rooley Avenue, would be a big boost to the local boxing scene.

Huggy Osman owns Huggy’s Gym, off Manchester Road, where boxing stars like Olympic gold medal winner Nicola Adams trained. He says the last large scale venue to host boxing in Bradford was St George’s Hall.

He said: “It would be brilliant. There used to be boxing events at St George’s Hall, many moons ago. They’ve looked at putting boxing on at Richard Dunn before, but it wasn’t workable at the time. I think Sky wanted to show live events but it was too small.

“This would be an excellent way to showcase boxing in the city. There are a lot of local boxers who would be looking to do shows in the North. The only big venue is Leeds Arena, and you’d have to sell a lot of tickets to make that work. You’d also have no problem parking there and it’s near the motorway.”

The licence would allow the sports to be held in the centre from 9am to 11pm on Monday to Friday, from 9am to midnight on Saturday and from 9am to 10.30pm on Sundays.

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