by Organizers of west Cumbria’s latest big strip boxing show say they have “raised the bar” with a night of high-quality fights.
The WBKBII event at Lillyhall saw plenty of fierce competition in front of a sell-out crowd.
It was the second such event held in recent months and its success has paved the way for more in the future.
“We feel we’ve raised the bar with this show,” said Peter Gilmour, a member of the organizing team.
This was the second major bare-knuckle event held in west Cumbria (Image: Ray Paterson – Mondo Ghecko Photography)
“It was a step up from the first one – a night of high quality fights, with some great fighters on display.
“The entire production values of the show were next level – the visuals, the sound too. It was a quality night in front of a sell-out crowd. We could not be more proud of what we have achieved.”
In the top fight of the bill Bartek ‘Plow Polish’ Kanabey, Maryport, defeated Nathan Thompson by TKO in the first round to claim the British WBKB featherweight title.
Kanabey thus became a double champion, having dropped a weight division following his lightweight victory at the first WBKB event last year.
Bartek Kanabey, who became the WBKBII double champion (Image: Ray Paterson – Mondo Ghecko Photography)
“He’s a great fighter and, more than that, an even better human being,” Gilmour said.
“He’s one of the nicest men you could ever meet and you couldn’t beat him.”
Kanabey has now secured a fight on the BKFC card in Milton Keynes on April 6, when he takes on the experienced Bakhtyor Kudratov in a lightweight bout.
“We are very proud that he has come through our ranks in WBKB and is going to fight on the biggest stage of all,” said Gilmour.
Seven more fights were featured on the night as Jack Dugdale faced Andy Walsh to claim the WBKB British welterweight title.
“It was not without its challenges – we lost two fighters on Friday night, which was difficult, because we had to find two drivers at short notice. And it’s not always easy to do the sport of bare-knuckle boxing,” Gilmour said.
“One of the guys we called was Andy Walsh – he took his girlfriend to the Lake District for a break, we knew he was in the area, so we tested the water with him, and he responded saying, ‘I’m on. holiday, but I brought my gum with me’.
“He came in and did a great job – he didn’t get the fight but to step in the way he did was great.”
Danny Christie, British champion BKFC Carlisle, was one of the referees at the west Cumbria event (Image: Ray Paterson – Mondo Ghecko Photography)
Workington’s Dan Park was also among the winners of the night when he beat Shaun Kissane by TKO in round one.
And Whitehaven’s Grant Hocking was successful in his fight against Bobby Wilson, also achieving a TKO in the first round.
Gilmour also praised the sell-out crowd for their part to make it a special evening at CRL, Lillyhall.
“We got through the night without a single incident. That’s what we’re aiming for,” he said.
“You can’t always predict what’s going to happen. Sometimes, even at the highest profile events in places like Wembley you see people misbehaving, but our crowd were impeccable in how they got on, they appreciated the show and all the fights, and we had a trouble free night.
“That’s what did it. We want to thank them for coming out and supporting us the way they did.”
Danny Christie, Carlisle BKFC British light-heavyweight champion, was one of the judges.
And Joe Egan, Mike Tyson’s former sparring partner, was a special guest at the event.
“Joe Egan had time to talk and have photos with everyone, and he did a full talk on Sunday as well,” Gilmour said.
Joe Egan was a special guest in west Cumbria (Image: Ray Paterson – Mondo Ghecko Photography)
“He was one of the kindest, most sincere and most wonderful people I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting.
“He lives an extraordinary life but he’s so humble and grounded and he had so much time for everyone at the event – we were honored to have him there.”
Organizers plan to grow the event further, with a third event likely to take place in west Cumbria in August, with plans for future shows elsewhere in the county.
“Everything is growing now because of the hard work we’ve done as a team – myself, Kevin Thompson, his wife Kelly, with the help and support of Ross Allan,” said Gilmour.
“The first show we struggled to attract fighters, we were a bit out of sorts, but now we have a lot of big companies wanting to sponsor the event, and a lot of fighters asking when the next event there.
“I think there is a word for how we treat fighters to be around.
“The third one will probably be in west Cumbria as well, but we’re really hoping to spread the numbers to places like Barrow, Carlisle, Penrith, and be a show that represents the whole county.
Organizers are planning another event in west Cumbria later this year and are looking to hold more events across the county. (Image: Ray Paterson – Mondo Ghecko Photography)
“The focus will still be on quality rather than quantity – we’d rather do fewer shows and make sure it’s a great product that everyone wants to know about, rather than diluting the quality.
“When we first started, there was no guarantee of success – but through hard work, dedication and ability, basically, we are where we are and as a team we are so proud of what we have achieved. It’s fair to say we’re all under the spell of it.”
WBKBII RESULTS
Richard Hodgson defeated Jimmy Wilson by KO (R1)
Gary Taylor defeated Matt Sutton by unanimous decision
Russell Burns defeated Jamie Christopher by TKO (R1)
Jack Dugdale def Andy Walsh by TKO (R1)
Mani Hameed defeated Gav Stafford by TKO (R1)
Grant Hocking defeated Bobby Wilson by TKO (R1)
Dan Park defeated Shaun Kissane by TKO (R1)
Bartek Kanabey defeated Nathan Thompson by TKO (R1)
