Ricky Hatton wasn’t the only big name from British boxing to make a special guest appearance in the Teesside area of late.
While household name Hatton sold out his sportsman’s evening at Marton Country Club last Friday night, former British, European and Commonwealth super bantamweight champion Esham Pickering spoke to die-hard boxing fans about his career at the Hollybush in Skelton.
The 38-year-old from Newark in Nottinghamshire is well-known in North-east boxing circles for his 2005 title unification cracker with Hartlepool’s Michael Hunter.
Pickering reminisced about the Hunter classic and shared stories from his time in Brendan Ingle’s star-studded Wincobank gym in Sheffield with the likes of ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed, Johnny Nelson, Kell Brook and Junior Witter during his visit to East Cleveland.
Pickering floored arch rival Hunter in the opening two rounds when they met at Hartlepool Borough Hall almost 10 years ago, but the Hartlepool warrior got up to add the European title and Commonwealth titles to his British crowns on points after 12 gruelling rounds.
Pickering - who now runs his own gym, Epic Golden Gloves in Newark - still feels he should have finished the job but said Hunter deserves credit for the way he rallied.
He said: “I should have put him away but he was very resilient and kept coming.”
The night raised over £200 for Zoe’s Place and Ward 14 at James Cook University Hospital, and former WBO world title challenger Pickering spent two hours before it training with young boxers at Redcar Amateur Boxing Club.
Among the Hollybush audience were Darlington’s former British welterweight title challenger Francis Jones, Newcastle middleweight Andrew Buchanan, and Tyneside boxing promoter Steve Wraith.
Event organiser Jamie Boyle said: “Esham was a class act. He couldn’t have been more of a gentleman.”
Other guests from the fight fraternity on the night were Geordie boxer Dougie Curran, who fights Middlesbrough’s John Green for the Northern Area super featherweight title next month, and Stockton’s Cameroon-born super featherweight and London Olympian Abdon Cesar.
Cesar claimed his third successive win at Gateshead Leisure Centre last Saturday by outpointing Maidenhead’s game Jack Heath.
The Yaounde-born 29-year-old lost the first round but took the next three to claim a 39-37 victory.
Late addition to the bill Jeff Saunders - younger brother of unbeaten Sedgefield pro and former amateur star Bradley Saunders - was unable to make his pro debut on the show because the relevant paperwork wasn’t received in time.
Cesar has a great opportunity to put himself in the shop window on March 7 when he boxes Charlie Payton over six rounds on Matchroom’s Sky Sports show at Hull Ice Arena.
Middlesbrough-born, Hull-based Payton is the son of former Boro, Celtic and Hull City striker Andy Payton.
The 23-year-old has won all four of his fights on points but was pushed close by journeyman Ibrar Riyaz, who was originally slated to face Cesar last weekend, before winning 39-38.
Cesar - birth name Abdon Mewoli - has a new sponsor, Francis Jones’ Sparta Security in Darlington.
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