Organisers of the fourth major bare-knuckle boxing event in west Cumbria say it will be by far the biggest of its kind – with some “barn-burning” fights on the card.
WBKB IV will be held next month at the Fibrus Community Stadium in Workington.
It follows the success of three previous such events as the fast-growing sport makes its mark in the county.
The card on Saturday, April 5 will include a European lightweight title fight between Workington-born former Australian professional boxing champion Darren Askew and Uzbekistani BKFC fighter Bakhtyor Kudratov.
A cruiserweight title fight between Whitehaven’s Grant Hocking and Corey Harrison is another highlight.
A series of other contests, many involving local boxers, will also feature in front of a 700-strong crowd.
Peter Gilmour, part of the organising team, says it promises to be an event to remember.
“It’s our fourth event, and it will be our biggest by far,” he said.
“It’s been by far our fastest-selling and the fighters who are coming are on another level.
“A number of them are fighters that could grace the biggest shows, the BKB and the BKFC shows.
“We’re basically giving a platform for local fighters to shine and also for world-class fighters to come to Cumbria.
“We want to take away the days where people need to go to Manchester or Newcastle to see the best of the best. What we want to do is bring it to Cumbria – let’s bring the best to our own doorstep.”
Gilmour says 17 of the event’s 24 fighters are Cumbria-based, while special guests at the event also highlight the county’s strength at bare-knuckle, with Egremont’s BKFC European heavyweight champion Agi Faulkner due to attend and Carlisle’s former BKFC light-heavyweight champion Danny Christie a referee.
“We pride ourselves on putting on well-matched fights,” added Gilmour. “Five at the last event went to a decision. That's a testament to the quality and the toughness of the fighters.
April's event is being held at the Fibrus Community Stadium in Workington (Image: Dave Morris photography)
“This time we're levelling it up and we’re working on increasing the production values of the show, with an enhanced lighting rig and a ring walk for the fighters, while we are doing more to showcase the fighters with media work.
“The fighters are the stars. We’re here to give them this platform.”
The WBKB promotion has enjoyed some success stories already with Maryport’s Bartek Kanabey going on to earn a BKFC contract after his victories in west Cumbria, while Annan’s Sandra Rees also stepped up to the BKFC after fighting in the WBKB last time out.
As well as the Askew v Kudratov bout and the Hocking v Harrison fight, Gilmour highlighted the battle between Martin Smith and Sam Blakesley as one to watch.
“That’s a real barn-burner,” he said. “Martin's long and strong and Sam's tough as nails – he comes from really unpredictable angles of attack and I think that's going to be a real clash of styles between two hard, hard individuals.
“Another one to watch out for us Lewis Bragg v Andy Parker. Andy’s a seasoned veteran from Rotherham who always brings a fight. Lewis is only 22, a Whitehaven lad, and I think he’s a rising star – definitely one to watch out for.”
The sport of bare-knuckle boxing has established some firm popularity in the area and Gilmour added: “I think we just breed them tough up north, don't we? This is the true north, isn't it? The proper north.
“I think us Cumbrians, we're just a tough breed. You look back at the roots of the Cumbrian people and I think as a general rule, we are just born to be tough, to be resilient.
“We’re a county of people who love the thrill, who love the challenge, love things that are difficult for us and love to get out of our comfort zone.
April's event will be watched by a 700-strong audience (Image: Dave Morris photography)
“I think bare-knuckle really is the world's most unpredictable sport because it just takes that one connection. In [gloved] boxing, you can take a punch to land a punch, whereas in BKB, it's all about avoiding the punches because all of a sudden, those punches can cause cuts and they can become game-changers in a fight.”
Gilmour said the duty of care to the fighters at the event is paramount, while organisations such as Andy’s Man Club are also highlighted to any fighter who may need help on the mental health side.
“At the end of the day, before anything else, before we say that those lads are fighters, they are somebody's son, somebody's brother, somebody's uncle.
“We can't lose track of the human element. That's what it's all about, essentially - valuing all these fighters as individuals and as human beings first and foremost.”
The event’s sponsors include Bounty Competitions, Cloud Competitions, Maxwell Flooring, Andy’s Man Club, Big G Gin, KT Skip Hire & Waste Management, Kevin Dickinson Limited, Paige Sewell Beauty, Maryport MOT Centre Ltd, Robinsons Joiners, Paton Bros Scaffolding and Builders & Maintenance Contractors.
A very small number of tickets remain available. For more details call 07568729822 or 07478654646, or visit the WBKB social media pages.
