MONDAY morning and the editor of ‘Boxing News’ knows what he will have to face.
One of the jobs is to plough through piles of results from small-hall shows between prospects and journeymen predictably scored 60-54 and 40-36.
Rewind 40 years and nearly every fight in Britain was more competitive.
These were the days of the Sporting Clubs.
Look through ‘Boxing News’ from this week in March, 1985, and there were Sporting Club shows in Leicester, Glasgow, Liverpool and Southend.
There were others, all over the country, where suited and booted businessman ate, drank, did business and watched the boxing in plush hotels.
‘Fork-and-fight nights’ the press called them and they were popular.
Ron Gray, the former heavyweight, manager, promoter and matchmaker, remembered three Sporting Club shows being held on the same night.
“There were more Sporting Club shows than commercial shows at one stage,” said Gray, now 82 years old.
“Promoters found it easier to sell dinner tickets to businessmen and the idea was they would then buy ringside tickets for the commercial shows – but you had to put on 50-50 fights to get them interested.”
In the days before Boxrec gave everyone access to every result, prospects could test themselves in 50-50 fights and if they lost, the result would be hidden away in small print of ‘Boxing News’ and the local press. Losses didn’t affect their reputation or ticket sales for open shows.
Chris Saunders and Ross Hale were 3-0 and 7-0 respectively going into their clash on a dinner show in London in November, 1990.
Hale won on points – and both on to win British honours.
The St Andrews Sporting Club famously launched at Glasgow’s Albany Hotel in January, 1973 with Ken Buchanan outpointing Jim Watt for the British lightweight championship.
More than half a century later, the St Andrews Sporting Club is still going and there is one other Sporting Club regularly staging shows.
Scott Murray set up the Excelsior Sporting Club in Cannock, Staffordshire, two years ago.
Murray, who had more than 100 amateur bouts, built up a client base bringing heroes such as Barry McGuigan and Anthony Joshua to his Bar Sport venue for ‘Legends Nights’ before taking out his promoter’s licence.
Murray understands why there are fewer Sporting Clubs now.
“The first thing to go when the business is struggling is these sort of nights out,” he said. “They can’t justify splashing out on going to the boxing.”
Murray admits it’s a struggle to pay the bills.
“We have the venue and the bar,” he said, “but it’s still tight. I wouldn’t want the extra cost of having to hire a hotel as well.
“The cost of food has gone up, so the price of tickets has to go up, but we think it’s decent value if you break it down.
“£150 on Thursday night gets you a drinks reception, Steve Bunce, Richie Woodhall and Barry McGuigan, plus a five-course meal with wine and five fights.”
Top of the bill on Thursday night is a good-looking 10 rounder between Jess Barry and Linzi Buczynskyj.
The vacant Commonwealth Silver featherweight belt is up for grabs and Barry also defends the English title she won by outpointing Chelsey Arnell in December in a fight the Midlands Area Council named Female Bout of the Year.
Barry and Buczynskyj could provide similar thrills. They fought as amateurs in Coventry in 2018 and Barry won on points on her club’s show in the Bout of the Night.
Barry is now a 6-1 pro, Buczynskyj 5-4 and Barry said: “I have wanted this fight for a while. I know she is game and won’t pull out.
“I outworked her (when they boxed as amateurs), but she was up for the fight.”
Thursday will be Barry’s third appearance on Excelsior Sporting Club shows.
“Jess is always all action,” said Murray, “and I get asked when she’s boxing again.”
The 30-year-old Barry said: “I want to be in entertaining fights.
“That’s one of the most important things for me.
“People pay good money to watch me and I want to entertain them. I want to win – and be in the best fight of the night.”
