Dubbed ‘Northern Soul’ in honour of the music and dance scene associated with the famous Wigan Casino nightclub, the 12-fight show will see each of the boxers walking to the ring backed by a Northern Soul classic tune.
“It’s not often we have a show on that doesn’t clash with a date on Sky Sports or BoxNation,” explained promoter Steve Wood. “So it’s nice to have an evening where we can showcase to fans the kind of quality show we regularly put on.
“The big shows are great and plenty of VIP fighters appear on them like Terry Flanagan and Josh Warrington, to name just two. But this show on Saturday is the bread-and-butter of boxing, it’s the sort of show that keeps the sport alive, and it’s where fighters like Terry and Josh learn their art.”
Appearing on the stacked Wigan card will be former English light-welterweight champ Shayne Singleton, former British cruiserweight title challenger Mike Stafford, and Bolton middleweight Rick Godding who is hoping to land a domestic title shot this year. Also appearing will be undefeated fighters – Liverpool’s Louis Cuddy 15-0 (6), Lancashire’s Steve Brogan 6-0 (1), and Blackburn’s Morgan Jackson 4-0 (1).
“This is our first show of the year and I’m looking forward to it,” said Wood. “The card’s almost a sellout so the atmosphere will be great. Shayne always brings great support and it’s good to have him appearing after being badly let down by David Haye in January. It’s also good to see the return of Mike Stafford, who feels renewed and should be back in title contention soon. And Rick Godding is committing himself one hundred per cent this year to the sport, so it’s make-or-break for him.
“I’m also excited about top unbeaten prospects Jack Flatley, Ryan Mulcahy and Tom Farrell who were all good amateurs, and are looking great so far in the pros. And our two debutants Tom Barlow and Lee Oldham have sold over 400 tickets between them, so it’s a huge night for them.
“We always get decent figures on vipboxing.tv but hopefully, with our show the only one being shown live this Saturday, we’ll hit record viewing numbers. It’s not often fans get the chance to watch boxing for free, we’ve got a charismatic ringside commentator in Simon ‘Claymaker’ Clayton who’s a rival for any of the guys at Sky or BoxNation, and it’s a decent card. So hopefully the fans will tune in and enjoy themselves.”
VIP Promotions presents an evening of boxing at Wigan’s Robin Park Arena on Saturday February 20. Appearing will be Colne’s Shayne Singleton; Southport’s Mike Stafford; Bolton’s Rick Godding and Jack Flatley; Liverpool’s Louis Cuddy, Tom Farrell and Ryan Mulcahy; Lancashire’s Steve Brogan; Blackburn’s Morgan Jackson; St. Helens’ Ian Halsall, and debutants Tom Barlow and Lee Oldham.
The show will also be streamed live and free at vipboxing.tv
