Save The Dates

I had to pause and ponder the other day when somebody asked me if our current and forthcoming schedule we are delivering for DAZN is our strongest opening gambit with a new broadcaster.

I have to say, the run of fights we have got coming up does take some beating and, in many ways, is comparable to when we took the plunge with our foray into the then satellite TV with Sky Sports back in the mid-90s when we left ITV.

Now, we have just had Joe Joyce and Filip Hrgovic backed up by David Adeleye against Jeamie TKV and then on May 3 we have Canelo Alvarez fighting over in Riyadh.

Anthony Cacace going up against Leigh Wood is attracting a bumper sell-out crowd to the Nottingham Arena on May 10, supported by cracking fights such as Liam Davies vs Kurt Walker and Ezra Taylor taking on Troy Jones.

Tickets are also at an absolute premium for our return to Scotland at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow on May 24, when Josh Taylor entertains the entertainer in Ekow Essuman and Nathaniel Collins goes up against Lee McGregor.

It is all happening and our most recent show call came at Portman Road, home of Ipswich Town FC, where on June 7, Fabio Wardley will live his dream of fighting on his field of dreams.

He is up against the extremely voluble Jarrell Miller, who made a very big noise at our media event to announce Fabio’s big night.

As most people know all too well, I have absolutely no time or liking for the sort of histrionics we witnessed on the day we announced the fight. It is not my cup of tea at all and it can damage the sport.

I have no issue with a bit of verbal back and forth because it is mostly all pantomime stuff, but that is as far as it should go. If a grudge has developed, settle it in the ring.

All that aside, June 7 is quite probably one of the biggest sporting events to be staged in the East Anglia region and the reaction, along with the uptake of tickets, suggests as much.

My admiration of Fabio is no secret. He is a joy to deal with and a bloody good fighter. I have huge respect for what he has accomplished in coming from a brief stint in the unlicensed scene to becoming a world ranked heavyweight.

He is charming, charismatic, speaks well and he entertains. Fabio is massively popular in his home town and fighting in front of his people was his No.1 priority when we entered into talks about promoting him.

He has got his wish and it is going to be a special, special occasion when a ring is planted in the centre circle at Portman Road for the very first time.

Yes Jarrell talks a lot, but he does back it up and is a formidable heavyweight. He wants to force his way into the elite heavyweight picture and overcoming Fabio would achieve this for him, so our man has got to be on his guard and take nothing for granted, which I know he won’t.

Ipswich, despite making a bigger fight of it than the other newcomers, have not had it easy in the Premier League after the remarkable climb from League one in the space of two seasons.

I am pretty sure they will make a good fist of bouncing back from the Championship but, for now, it is the job of Fabio to ensure his beloved team are not the only people going down at Portman Road this year.