Brian's boys ready to put on a show

6:56pm Thursday 3rd April 2008

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BRIAN Roche may have fought for British and Commonwealth titles but hosting his first ever boxing show ranks alongside those heady achievements.

The Bacup-born boxer, whose 22-fight professional career spanned six years, holds his inaugural show at the Falcon Pub in Burnley next week.

It marks one of the few remaining ambitions in the sport for the former lightweight fighter who twice fought for the Commonwealth title and once for the British crown.

"This is definitely up there with those big fights I had," said Roche who set up Brian Roche Amateur Boxing Club two years ago. "Ever since I retired from fighting, one of my ambitions was to host my own shown.

"It has taken some time to get there but I can finally say that I am going to host my own show."

The event, which will be held on Friday, April 11, is already a sell-out with 13 fights on the card - 12 of them involving Brian's own boxers.

"All the lads are excited about it and also a little nervous," added Roche whose club is based on Queen Lancashire Way in Burnley. "Most of them haven't fought in front of a crowd before and some of them are fighting for the first time.

"They'll be up there in front of friends and family so I will be telling them just go out and enjoy themselves."

Roche will be passing on his own experiences in the ring to his young fighters in what promises to be the biggest night of their fledgling careers to date.

"I will be speaking to the lads about how to prepare and not let the occasion get to them."

And there will be some extra spice on the night with fighters from Burnley club Sandygate ABC also on the bill.

"It will be good to see how some of our fighters do against fighters from an established club like Sandygate."

Roche fought for the Commonwealth title in 1988, losing to Mo Hussein, then in 1991, lost to Chorley's Carl Crook in an epic battle for the vacant British and Commonwealth titles in what proved to be his last fight.