It was a great night for three boxers from Franco’s Boxing Club in Gainsborough, who were all victorious, having travelled to a major show in Leeds organised by Bradley Roy’s WF Promotions, with the highlight being Archie Jones retaining the promotion’s super welterweight title belt and Shane Thornhill and Owen Paterson knocking their opponents out in the first and second round respectively in front of a crowd of about six hundred including many vocal supporters who’d accompanied the team to the venue.
Bare-knuckle boxer and MMA fighter Rico Franco, 31, who is both owner and chief coach at Franco’s, which he opened almost two years ago, praised his fighters for having ‘all performed well listening to instructions and putting into practice all they’d worked on in the gym with Archie having to ride a storm against the toughest of opponents in Kai Nicholson to get his stoppage in the fourth of five scheduled rounds.’
Nineteen-year-old apprentice electrician Jones hails from Retford and has trained at Franco’s since it opened, and the Leeds fight was his third context representing Franco’s. ‘I was delighted to get the stoppage,’ said Jones, ‘and fair play to Kai, who put me through my paces. It was a hard fight, a bit of a bloodbath, truth be told, but I got the win and am proud of my record with nine victories now in ten semi-professional bouts. I’m aiming to become a fully professional boxer by the time I’m 21.’
Shane Thornhill, 27, was proud of his first-round knockout of opponent Lukasz Pierkaski. ‘It was my third fight’, said Thornhill, ‘and I showed just what I’m capable of.’ A master technician for a bus company and father of one young son Thornhill, who plans to get married next year, explained that ‘I took up boxing because I was seriously overweight and depressed. I fell in love with it. I train hard. I put the hours in. I’ve lost loads of weight and now I’m much more confident, someone I hope my son can be proud of.’
Franco also commended Owen Paterson as ‘a courageous boxer who came to the club earlier this year to improve his skills and learn to box properly. His dedication and consistency have been on point now having had four bouts. He’s the proof of the standard of mindset in the gym and it’s uplifting how these boxers take the risks in life that lead to success.’
Anyone wanting to learn more about boxing training at Franco’s Boxing Club on Willoughton Drive can contact Franco via social media or e-mail ricobonbon@icloud.com.
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