THE Lion Gym of Leeds Road will be hosting a boxing bonanza on Saturday night, with over 500 spectators expected to walk through Bradford Hotel’s doors for their amateur show.
It’s going to be a huge evening of entertainment as West Yorkshire’s brightest talents face off in the ring, with 16 bouts scheduled across the event, which gets underway at 7pm.
Lion will be showcasing several of their biggest rising stars; one of whom is Neveah-Mai Brierley – a talented female who was crowned national champion last weekend following a victory against City of Hull’s Grace Musgrave on a split decision in the Under 44kg category.
Of course, Jamie Broom, who has made a name for himself in the amateur ranks in recent times, will also be fighting on the card as one of Lion’s senior boxers, and he’ll be looking to make an impression at the ‘home show’ on Saturday.
It’s the last time that Lion Gym will host their own show this season and head coach Khalil Alam is extremely excited ahead of what’s expected to be a thrilling evening of boxing.
He said: “It’s a great chance for us to showcase our fighters because we have a lot of talent now within the gym after seeing the fighters build themselves up over the years. We now have a national champion as well in Neveah; she’ll be fighting at the show. Also, we have several of our young talents competing, while the senior members of the gym including Jamie Broom will be fighting, and we have two Yorkshire Belts on the line. So, we are expecting a great night of entertainment with some high-quality bouts. Guests will certainly be getting their money’s worth.”
Broom, one of Lion’s senior fighters, will be facing a “tough opponent” this weekend in his bid to claim a statement victory, and this time he will be fighting at a different weight confirmed Khalil.
He said: “With Jamie, we were planning for him to go for another Yorkshire belt, but unfortunately his opponent decided to pull out at the last minute. We’ll still be targeting that bout down the line but it’s a bit frustrating that we’re not able to do it on the home show. However, we still feel he’s going to have a real tough test on Saturday and we are happy how it’s worked out because he’s now facing a previous Yorkshire belt holder; a fighter who is young, sharp and durable. In a sense, I believe that this bout may be a tougher challenge but it’s one that Jamie needs to keep improving.”
Khalil added: “Not only that; Jamie is also moving up in weight, so we are expecting a really competitive fight. We often throw him (Jamie) in the deep end, but it’s how fighters learn.”
Lion’s head coach has encouraged Bradfordian people to come and get a glimpse of the city’s best boxers, saying: “I’d like to ask people to come and watch at the Bradford Hotel on Saturday because it’s going to be a fantastic event. We’ve got 16 fights on; all of which have been carefully thought out and matched competitively. We’ve got a great mixture of young and older fighting, but the biggest thing is that you’ll get to see some of the next generation boxers within Bradford. It will be a memorable night.”
Doors open at The Bradford Hotel for the public at 6pm, while the first fight gets underway at 7pm.
Tickets for the event are priced at £15 with U10s being able to go for £10. Tickets can be bought upon entry and card payments will be accepted.
Address: Hall Ings, Bradford, BD1 5SH.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here