Gary Woolcombe Gets British Boxing Title Opportunity

Santa Claus has come down Gary Woolcombe’s chimney early. Woolcombe, who was preparing for an eight round bout on November 30, was given an early Christmas present when Jamie Moore’s European title fight was cancelled.

Woolcombe will now challenge for the vacant British light middleweight title and co-headline the “Home Guard” bill at Robin Park Centre in Wigan, England on Saturday, December 8. The card will serve as the lead-in to Sky Sports’ PPV broadcast of Ricky Hatton’s WBC welterweight challenge to Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas.

At the age of 25, Woolcombe, 24-1 (9), relishes the opportunity to step up among the big names in the light middleweight division and grabbed the opportunity as soon as it was offered to him by promoter Frank Maloney. He’s determined not to let his South London fans down, of which 150 will be making the journey up north to Wigan.

Woolcombe will face WBF titlist Marcus Portman, 18-5-1 (3), a southpaw from West Bromwich who has also asked for 100 tickets for his fans making the trip from his hometown.

Both combatants were already in training for fights and were inside the check weight limits comfortably when they were weighed last night.

Whoever wins this title can look forward to good paydays on the British scene and even a clash with ex-champion Jamie Moore in the near future.

Also on the card will be the first fight for the newly created British super flyweight belt, between Chris Edwards, 10-12-3 (3), and the undefeated young Jamie McDonnel, 8-0-1 (2).

Jamie, from Doncaster, is being tipped to become a star of the British lighter weight divisions, but Edwards, the tough little warrior from Stoke, has other plans and intends to throw a spanner in the works in the development of McDonnel.

The third title fight on the bill sees a Commonwealth welter championship contest between the talented reigning titlist Ali Nuumbembe, 18-2-1 (6), and one of Britain’s most underrated fighters, Craig Watson, 11-1 (3), the man who had Amir Khan on his backside in Amir’s last amateur fight.

Watson is a throwback and once he receives a phone call from his promoter, all he asks is “where do I have to turn up and what weight do I have to be”? He never asks to see a tape or asks his opponent’s record; he just loves to fight.

This fight could be the show stealer of the whole card.

Frank Maloney Promotions presents “Home Guard” featuring Gary Woolcombe vs. Marcus Portman for the British light middleweight title, Chris Edwards vs. Jamie McDonnel for the British super flyweight title and Ali Nuumbembe vs. Craig Watson for the Commonwealth welterweight title along with full undercard at Robin Park Arena in Wigan, England on Saturday, December 8, 2007.

Tickets are priced at £125, £80 and £40 and are available by logging onto www.frankmaloney.com or by calling the Box Office at 0871 226 1508. Prices include the big screen showing of the Hatton vs. Mayweather contest.

Doors open at 7:30PM with the first fight commencing at 8:00PM.

Sky Sports will televise the action live on Sky Box Office starting at 22:00 hrs.