This Is Guernsey

By Aaron Scoones

Wayne Calladine, above, faces Michael Foster tomorrow night at Beau Sejour, having beaten him twice before. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0538871)

THE locals are ‘ready to rumble’ in front of their own fans.

A couple of weeks ago, the 800-odd tickets were sold out within a record 29 minutes of going on sale and Guernsey coach Graham Guilbert says that the crowd will be treated to one of the best bills for more than 30 years.

‘It’s the best line-up in local boxing from all the time that I’ve been involved,’ he said.

‘It’s going to be a cracking night without a doubt. It’s going to be one of the best.’

Much has already been made about Matt Jennings’s top-of-the-bill rematch with Sonny Jury that has been dubbed the ‘Brawl in the Hall’.

But there are a selection of other grudge matches and fascinating fights in the 16-strong card.

‘You’ve got Jennings topping the bill with Watson, Woolnough and Le Patourel fighting as well – all the boxers are looking really good,’ said Guilbert.

‘They’ve all trained hard for this one. They all look sharp and are getting anxious.’

One boxer who cannot wait for tomorrow is crowd favourite James Woolnough.

It will be the 17-year-old apprentice stonemason’s fifth Open Show.

‘I reckon because it’s open, your friends and family are there [that makes it so good],’ he said.

‘They give you so much encouragement. You get the butterflies beforehand, but then the crowd get you going.

‘I just want to get in there and get going. The fans like to see boxing as well. They don’t get to see it very often.’

The sell-out audience should be in for a real treat when Woolnough steps into the ring.

And like Jennings’s fight, Woolnough’s welterweight clash with Craig Boardman is a rematch.

The ever-enthusiastic Sarnian fought Boardman at the December Dinner Boxing Show and he came away with a split-decision victory.

Woolnough is confident of a more convincing win this time.

‘He’s quite a tough and strong lad,’ said Woolnough.

‘It should be good. I’ve been training hard enough.

‘I’ve studied the tapes and I wasn’t boxing my best last time. I’m going to go for it.

‘It should be one of my better performances.’

In total there are four rematches taking place at the show.

The other two see Gage Demoor face Andrew Kremner and Wayne Calladine take on Michael Foster.

When they met in December, the aggressive Kremner threw Demoor to the canvas a couple of times before taking the honours on points. Light-welterweight Kremner is bound to get the crowd going.

The Calladine-Foster showdown is also guaranteed to be a hit.

The light-heavyweights have met twice before, with the ever-improving Calladine winning both.

One local fighter looking to improve on his previous time out is Tom Duff.

The Priaulx and island footballer returned to boxing in November after having been away from the sport for three-and-a-half years.

The 28-year-old electrician won his first fight on a unanimous decision against Ryan Sotton, who is on tomorrow night’s bill against Shane Le Patourel.

But for Duff it was more of a battle when he next stepped between the ropes as he took on Luke Allon at last month’s show.

Referee Eamonn Gillease stopped the fight in the second round as the classy Allon went to town on Duff.

‘He was a good boxer,’ said Duff.

‘He was a level above. I couldn’t do much against him.’

At tomorrow’s event, Duff is taking on Darren Wilson from Tyldesley’s Centurion ABC in the penultimate fight of the night.

The Guernseyman said he does not know too much about his opponent.

Duff performed at one Open Show ‘years ago’.

‘I’m looking forward to it,’ he said.

‘It’s something a bit different to St Pierre Park with a bigger crowd and that.’

The North of England coach Steve Walshaw is a man well known to the local boxing scene.

He always does a fantastic job of matching up Guernsey fighters with UK amateurs and he has been entrusted with running the opposition team since the Open Show relaunched a number of years ago.

His boxers enjoy coming to the event.

‘They love it,’ said Walshaw.

‘The turn out is unbelievable. It’s a good show and the crowd are brilliant.

‘They cheer on the boxers from both teams. They aren’t biased.’

Walshaw is bringing with him authenticated signed pictures of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo and a pair of signed boxing gloves from Amir Khan.

They will be raffled during the evening to raise funds for the Amalgamated Boys’ Club.

As usual Walshaw is bullish about his side’s chances and after losing 10-5 last year, he is convinced that his team are going to come away the victors.

‘Definitely this time,’ he said.