Bitter blow as bout is cancelled

FOR those not closely involved in the pro-game, it’s hard to explain how crushing the late cancellation of a title fight is for those involved.

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The graft, the blood, the sweat, the money spent - all for nothing. Weeks and weeks in a strict training camp simply wasted.

I know the sacrifices that need to be made. And my heart goes out to unbeaten flyweights Brad Thompson and Brad Coley whose Midlands title fight, scheduled for this Saturday at Birmingham's Eastside Rooms, hit the rocks only eight days before the mouthwatering showdown. The show, promoted by BCB, will go on without the original main event.

Donnington’s Thompson was forced to pull out after suffering a chest infection.

As a fan, I’m disappointed by the loss of a superb scrap. Thompson and Coley must be devastated: as well as everything else, the cash would’ve been much needed at this time of year.

James Thomas, who trains Birmingham's Coley, was emotional and deflated when I spoke to him: deflated enough to question his involvement in the sport.

“Absolutely gutted,” he said. “I’m sure I've been told they're now looking at a date around March time, but I've been that disappointed I haven't got into the ins and outs of it all.

“I haven't been able to work for months (Thomas is a bricklayer by trade) because I’ve been training with Brad three times a day. With Brad, he'll have his time off and we'll see what he wants to do in January. He's very down, but he’s come too far to turn back.