Boxing News Boxing News
Tonight one of the most anticipated all British clashes of the year takes place at Borough Hall in Hartlepool, England. Matchroom Promotions will preside over the pairing of European and Commonwealth Super Bantamweight Champion Esham Pickering against British Champion at that weight, Michael Hunter. It’s a match made in heaven for the fans that will pack Borough Hall as well as those who will watch the event from the comfort of their homes on Sky TV, starting at 10PM. While the Pickering – Hunter contest is obviously the focus of the evening, the undercard is jam packed with intriguing matchups such as light welters Oscar Hall and Lenny Daws squaring off as well as the very tough Marc Callaghan facing Spanish import Miguel Mallon at super bantam. Throw in names such as Dale Robinson, Isaac Ward and Francis Jones and you have a very exciting fight card indeed and one that bears further investigating.
The first thing that is apparent when the Pickering – Hunter contest is considered is the experience factor. Esham Pickering, 28-3 (11), has participated in ten more bouts than his opponent but it’s eight title fights of real consequence that “Brown Sugar” has been involved in that give him the edge versus Hunter’s three. While that statistic means nothing in and of itself, the men Pickering has faced in those eight contests, of whom he defeated six, have been by and large more accomplished adversaries than those faced down by Hunter, who has yet to lose a professional fight.
The only blemish Hunter has experienced thus far has been a draw and it’s the confidence born of twenty two victories, nine early, against no losses and the one draw that Pickering may find the most difficult aspect of the Hartlepool man’s arsenal to contend with. That and the fact that Hunter is a non stop punching machine who seems to have discovered a wealth of power of late, having stopped three of his last four rivals after only producing five stoppages in his first nineteen bouts.
Pickering has also experienced a jump in delivered concussive force, finishing six of his last seven inside the distance. In his last two bouts alone, Pickering has mastered a pair of very accomplished fighters in former European Bantamweight Champion Noel Wilders, widely outpointed over eight rounds, and a very hyped Spaniard previously undefeated in twenty four bouts, Miguel Mallon, gunned down in ten rounds during a European title defense.
In the end, previously accomplishments will count for nothing once the ringing bell starts the first round between these two domestic rivals. The beauty of boxing is that nothing can be taken for granted during a contest of wills such as the one that will take place during the main event at Borough Hall in Hartlepool this evening. One thing that can be assumed with a high degree of accuracy however, is the likelihood that the Esham Pickering – Michael Hunter triple championship struggle will not be boring for as long as it lasts.
