British Boxing: Steven Bell Steps Into Spotlight Against Fehintola
After a long and highly decorated amateur career, former Captain of the England team Steven Bell turned pro as a super featherweight in May of 2003, but ran headlong into a roadblock on his maiden voyage by drawing with rough and tumble journeyman Jus Wallie at the Kingsway Lesiure Centre in Widnes, England.
Undaunted, the lanky Manchester area lad got back in the saddle a few months later and within a year had racked up four consecutive victories, with the jewel in the crown being Bell’s magnificent performance to hand the much celebrated Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist Haider Ali his first loss.
Bell then went on to win seven more bouts against experience building competition but raised eyebrows during that run by also drawing with iron chinned spoiler Buster Dennis, leading many to question if “Belly” had what it took to succeed at a higher level.
But all doubts were erased with the seventh round stoppage of former British Super Featherweight titlist Jamie McKeever in March of this year and now Steven Bell, 12-0-2 (5), will get the chance to prove his meddle when he competes for the vacant English 130 lb title against smooth boxing Femi Fehintola, 17-1 (1), of Bradford this Saturday on a Sports Network card at the Nottingham Arena.
Fehintola earned a shot at reigning British titlist Carl Johanneson last November but couldn’t keep the rampaging Leeds based champion at bay and was stopped in the sixth round after a gutsy performance.
Since that time, Fehintola has won three straight and will provide Bell with a stern test but it’s a challenge that the 32 year old Ashton under Lyne resident knows he must undertake if he is to achieve his dream of winning a British title.
Bell is used to the limelight due to his side career as an award winning actor and a win at Nottingham should project the Northerner into the upper ranks of British boxing but Bell must turn in the kind of performance that got him past Ail and McKeever if he to defeat Fehintola.