James BovingtonTickets are “flying out” for December’s Winstanley Boxing Promotions event, according to the promoter, Jamie Winstanley.
The theme of the event is ‘Seacroft Showdown’ and it will see a dozen or so bouts featuring mainly local East Leeds boxers all keen to entertain a local audience as they showcase skills practised over ten weeks of intense training.
Winstanley, 37, has always loved boxing and the physical training which he knows first hand brings mental health benefits. “I’ve got extended family involved in this sport and I’ve been wanting to set this up for ages,” he said, adding: “I’ve acquired the knowledge needed to run a promotion and I have the time to do it properly. Ours is an area of the city that’s often maligned so I’m offering local boxers the chance to do something positive as they entertain local people.”
“All sports can stir up powerful emotions and especially combat sports. We’ve got a dozen or so bouts scheduled with about half the fighters being novices making their debut. The youngest is 18 and the oldest 37. They’re training hard and looking forward to proving just how courageous they are. We’re looking for a local company to be our main sponsor and also for premises we could use to train these boxers and other enthusiastic local youngsters.”
Devon Blackburn, 29, is a single dad of three working as a scaffolder and who’s always lived in Seacroft. He explained: “I went to Grange Farm Primary and then Boston Spa. I now live just a few doors away from the venue. I’ve dabbled in boxing for a while and have been training recently more seriously of late. I won my first fight a while ago by second round stoppage and I thought I’d give this a go because everything about it sounds right.”
“I’m keen to show that I’m learning the techniques while providing an entertaining fight with Cameron Bradley. I’m competing for the promotion’s Yorkshire title However, what’s good about this is that it’s very much a local show for East Leeds and Seacroft in particular. I’m grateful for the ticket commission available but it’s mainly about proving I’m a good role model for my kids while encouraging other youngsters to take up boxing and show what they can do.”
“Seacroft Showdown” takes place on 12th December at Beechwood WMC LS14 1BS. Contact boxers via social media. Call Jamie Winstanley on 07752 977548 or e-mail.
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