Northern vs Southern Area champions collide

 

Cope ready to bounce back into the title mix 

(Images courtesy of Sainsbury Photography)

Now, as we head to the end of November that professional scene will give you not one, but two shows in very quick succession. On top of that one of the areas bright prospects, Hartlepool’s Peter Cope, who has won ten of his eleven outings to date, travels to where it all began, the Doncaster Dome.  When he and his famed Barmy Army get there Copey will oppose the currently undefeated Southern Area champion, Andrew Townend, on the same night as the ‘Resurrection’ show back North in Gateshead.

For Cope, the Northern Area champion, it is a chance for redemption and a return to the English title scene, a one in which he fell just short of succeeding in a matter of months ago. That was against Mitchell Smith who faces Zoltan Kovacs for the vacant WBO European super featherweight strap in London on the same night.

Speaking ahead of his date with destiny the 23 year old fighter said: “This is the perfect route back for me to get into the title mix and, when I hopefully beat Townend on Saturday night, it puts me back to face whoever is next.

“I don’t want to be, or even see myself as being just an Area champion and, although I give my last opponent (when he defeated John Green for the Northern Area title) credit for stepping in there, he did spoil it a bit but it was good to be able to get some more rounds in as well.

“Now, as I have been for a while at least, I feel fit and focussed and we’re all glad that we have the buzz back in Robinson’s Gym – I’m definitely aiming for a win here, then get that English title, and push on to bigger and better things in the New Year.”

Not only that but, with the support of Gus Robinson’s Gym the Cope camp recently added a new element to their fighters camp with a new, and rather unfamiliar face. Dan Robinson explained about the camps’ new strength coach: “Cope’s win against (John) Green was the perfect way for him to get over the Smith loss and get back in the saddle.

“As for the implementation of S & C with our fighters, we’ve had a secret weapon in Marie Ratch who has been dealing with both that and the lads’ nutritional programmes for the past eighteen months or so which has surprised a lot of people. With her there with us then we have use of her Functional Sports business with our lads in the gym on a regular basis.”