Colne Municipal Hall - 4th March 2011 By Jamie Albrecht Shayne Singleton will be itching to return to action this Friday night as he tops the bill at his native Colne Municipal Hall, which has become a venue renowned for the electrifying atmosphere that it is capable of producing come fight night. The Pain and his eagerness to trade punches once again will have spawned primarily from being out of action since the last bill hosted in Colne in October 2010, where he outpointed Ali Wyatt over six rounds. Singleton expressed dissatisfaction at this turn of events, as his last scheduled date against Sid Razak on December 18th was cancelled due to the adverse weather conditions. He will now face former Midlands Area Light-Welterweight champion Gavin Deacon, in a fight that he feels cannot come quick enough. Ive been training continuously since before Christmas now as the Wigan bill was cancelled due to the snow and I didnt get a Christmas either as I was told I would be fighting in the new year , Colne was the next option, this fight is long overdue now. Singleton faces a tough proposition in Deacon. Whilst his record points towards a less than successful path, it his worth noting that the Northampton man possesses the more diverse ring CV, which may hold him in good stead come Friday night. The most decorated name on his record is former WBC World title challenger Rendall Munroe, who could only stretch to a less than totally comfortable points win. Whilst Shayne cannot boast sharing a competitive fixture with a world class operator, his training regime belies a different tale. Junior Witter came to spar with the 21 year old, and he remembered the moment fondly; I thought it was brilliant being able to spar with a fighter like Witter, being a former World champion, I learnt a lot and it definitely improved my confidence as I felt I did OK with him. When asked about a training regime for the fight, Singleton didnt allude to anything that he was doing to prepare specifically for the orthodox Deacon. I was originally preparing myself to fight a southpaw, as Johnny Greaves was my opponent until he was stopped by Bradley Skeete last week, which meant they had to change the opponent. I dont know too much about Deacon, and I wouldnt normally say this in a prediction, but Im hoping for a late stoppage, as it would be a nice end to all the frustration there has been over fights materialising. Also on the bill is single fight novice Luke Blackledge, who gave a powerful performance in his debut at the VIP opportunities bill in Wigan last October. His last opponent, Stuart Tordoff hit the floor three times due to Blackledges destructive punching, and the referee called a halt to proceedings in the fifth. The performance certainly provided value for money for those at the Robin Park Arena, and it will be interesting to see if the Accrington man will adopt the same gung-ho approach that afforded him victory last time out. Those familiar with the exploits of a certain Mr. Jeff Thomas will also witness his return to the ring on Friday night. Thomas has found a measure of fame on the internet, where a number of his fights are posted on the popular video sharing site YouTube. For those who have had an insight into the internet warriors career, the latest chapter is yet to be written, and it could be a very entertaining one. The night will also feature appearances from fledgling VIP hopeful Terry Needham and the opening assignment of his career for Stevie Taylor who promises all out action .The rumour trail is also started that the former British champion Tony Quigley will be added to the bill in a 4 round tune up before his attempt to win the Super-Middleweight Prize-fighter on the 23rd March. The venue frequently hailed as the best small hall venue in the country is once again offering up a top night of boxing, from first bell to last, it will be an exciting ride... Tickets priced at £30.00 will be available on the door, open 7.00pm 1st bell 8.00pm.
