Jamie Moore testimonial – Boxer to be Honored October 2nd
Boxing can be a cruel sport. Too many fighters have found themselves limited to its selfish square dungeon. Torn between their health and the prospect of continuing to battle for that one punch, a shot that’s carrying with it the instant promise of riches and fame. Boxing does not discriminate in this sense. That one punch can advance or destroy the career of any fighter and the fans do little to care in the latter situation. When he leaves no more blood on the canvas, there is rarely concern in the heart of the spectator for the fallen warrior. Boxing very rarely gives back what the man puts in and all too often there are sad stories to tell, rather than times being set aside to celebrate glory.
October 2nd 2010 will signal a welcomed change to this scenario. Some of the biggest names in British boxing will gather at the Reebok Stadium’s De Vere Whites hotel to celebrate the fruitful career of Salford’s Jamie Moore, Former Irish, British, Commonwealth and European Light-middleweight champion.
Moore engaged in many memorable battles in his 11 year career, which began at Manchester’s Bowlers arena with a third round TKO over Botswana’s Clive Johnson. Since that night, the knockouts never stopped, as Jamie built a reputation as a crowd pleasing southpaw who was never afraid to dig deep, one particular example of this being with the thrilling third fight of a trilogy against Liverpool’s Michael Jones for the British title, where following a breathtaking up-down slugfest, Moore rallied to stop Jones in the sixth. Matthew Macklin also had the privilege of a fight with Mooresey, another contest that will never be forgotten and another British classic (and fight of the year,) described as a “barnstormer”, that saw the two fighters meet in the centre of the ring for the ultimate test of stamina and guts, with Moore reigning supreme. These are the fights that justify a night of thanks and appreciation for a man who never failed to disappoint, whether that ended in victory or defeat.
Notable guests include Former 2 weight World champion, Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton, who will be a speaker at the event and former opponents Matthew Macklin and “Old Spice” Ryan Rhodes, who defeated Jamie in another classic for the European title in October 2009, in what was to be Jamie’s last big occasion in the ring.
Speaking on the event, Jamie expressed gratitude towards manager and friend Steve Wood, who has organised the event and stated that the money raised from the testimonial would be of great benefit to himself and his family. He stated that upon starting his career “(my) big ambition when i began was to make enough money for the kids to have a roof over their head and get the mortgage paid…the money raised will go some way towards doing this and it is a great gesture”.
Jamie continues to give back to the community that have supported him and runs daily circuit training sessions for people in the area, along with writing a weekly column for the publication Boxing News and carrying out promotional work for CNP products.
It is refreshing that boxing has found the time to commemorate the career of a modern British great and hopefully the evening will go a long way to show that the fighters such as Moore, who give so much, will never be forgotten and will forever be applauded for the entertainment, thrills and displays of courage and valour they provide.
