Redditch, UK (19 December 2020) Promoter Mick Hennessy closed the year last night with an exciting all-action show full of drama and knockouts from the Fly By Night TV studio in Redditch, Worcestershire, to viewers live on Channel 5 in the UK and via a live stream available around the world.

6 x 3 Rounds Middleweight Contest
Brett McGinty WPTS6 (59-56) Jan Ardon
Hennessy’s new signing Brett McGinty made a successful start to his pro career with a points win over the tough Czech born and Manchester based Jan Ardon. The Monaghan talent went in over six rounds instead of the usual four for a pro-debutant. Ardon was a late replacement and a heavier opponent and a big test for someones debut, but McGinty worked well to the head and body and showed his class. He was caught in the fourth and momentarily stunned but got through it and had to fight hard in the last two rounds to get a great win on is debut.

6 x 3 Rounds Middleweight Contest
Idris Virgo WPTS6 (60-54) Kearon Thomas
Unbeaten Birmingham middleweight maintained his unbeaten record with a 60-54 points victory over Walsall’s Kearon Thomas. Virgo hurt Thomas with a good body shot in the second round but Thomas managed to recover and get through it with Virgo looking to finish him off. In the fifth Virgo landed a low blow that had Thomas take some time to recover from. Virgo kept up the attack until the end to get his hand raised and his did his customary bow to the cameras.

6 x 3 Rounds Super Super-Lightweight Contest
Stephen McKenna WTKO3 (Time: 0:36) Des Newton
Irish super-lightweight ace Stephen McKenna ended his year with a knockout performance, flattening Bere Alston’s experienced Des Newton in the third round. McKenna started fast and hard throwing big bombs to head and body as he looked to get the tough Newton out early until he landed a big right hand in the third round. The undefeated Monahan Hitman took his record to a perfect 7-0 with 7 knockouts and now looks ahead to a big year in 2021 with the world’s eyes on the young talent as he progresses.

6 x 3 Rounds Super-Flyweight Contest
Sammy Cantwell LTKO6 (Time: 0:49) Stephen Jackson
In an entertaining hard fought contest, super-flyweight Sammy Cantwell, son of the popular 90s British Flyweight Champion and four-time World Title Challenger, Mickey, was stopped in the final round by Manchester’s pro-debutant Stephen Jackson. Cantwell was due to fight Ricky Little for the Southern Area title, but Little withdrew earlier in the week due to medical reasons (non-COVID) with Jackson coming in at late notice. Cantwell fought well considering he had been out of the ring for two years and at times he hurt Jackson. It was a gutsy and gritty performance from Cantwell, with Jackson also landing eye catching punches and hard combinations. In the sixth Jackson landed a big right hand and hurt Cantwell with more shots before the referee halted the action.

10 x 3 Rounds Midlands Area Middleweight Title
River Wilson Bent WKO3 (Time: 1:42) Troy Coleman
In the most explosive knockout of the night and certainly a contender for KO of the year, Coventry’s River Wilson Bent landed a huge right hand in the third round that had Burntwood’s Coleman out before he hit the canvas. Coleman tried bravely to get to his feet, but the referee waved it off at the count of ten. Unbeaten Bent claimed the Midlands Area Middleweight title and marked himself out as a big-hitting contender in the division.

12 x 3 British Light Heavyweight Title
Shakan Pitters LTKO9 (Time: 2:42) Craig Richards
In the main event, fierce light-heavyweight rival Shakan Pitters and Craig Richards delivered an exciting fight to end the year. Pitters, making the first defence of his British title that he won against Chad Sugden in August, was stopped in the ninth round in a real humdinger of a battle that was swinging in momentum. Pitters started the fight well, controlling with his long jab and keeping Crystal Palace’s Richards at a distance, but in the fourth round Richards landed a big right that rocked Pitters and followed that with a right hook that floored the Birmingham man. Getting up at three, Pitters went on the move with Richards moving in to try and find a shot to finish him off, but he survived the round. Re-establishing himself, Pitters then got back to work in the fifth and landed a good right hand at the end of the sixth. In the seventh and eighth, both landed good shots on each other with the fight very tight on points, but in the ninth Richards stepped it up and landed a big right hook to drop Pitters on the ropes. With Pitters hurt, Richards landed a left hook that floored him heavily, bravely up at the count of seven he was still on shaky legs and the referee Victor Loughlin called it off. Pitters will now take time to recover over the Christmas period and plot his route back next year.

*Sevenoaks middleweight Michael Hennessy Jr. had to withdraw from his fight against Kevin McCauley just before the contest during the warm up after damaging his left hand on the pads. Hennessy hurt it in his fight last week against Dale Arrowsmith and had been receiving physiotherapy treatment during the week which left him feeling good to fight. but when he started hitting the pads heavily the hand injured again. His team felt it would be in his best interest to withdraw.

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London, UK (2 December 2020) Love Island star Nathan Massey is backing friend and personal trainer Sammy Cantwell to win the Southern Area Super Flyweight title fight against Ricky Little on Saturday 18th December on the undercard of the Shakan Pitters-Craig Richards British Light-Heavyweight title showdown.

Cantwell puts Massey, winner of the hit reality show in 2016, through brutal training session at the Cantwell Boxing Gym in Eltham so he’s in good shape to the delight of his near 1 million followers on Instagram.

Massey, a former amateur boxer, said, “I’m a massive boxing fan and love the sport. It’s the best training out there to get fit, toned and for mental health and Sammy has done a great job working on me,”

“I know what he puts me through in training is only a quarter of what he does himself everyday ahead of his title fight and his focus, commitment and determination is really unbelievable to see, I know he can win on the night.”

With a raft of former Love Island stars in pro boxing with the likes of Jack Fincham, Tommy Fury and Idris Virgo – who features on the Cantwell-Little undercard – Massey has no desire to follow in their pro footsteps.

“I did a little amateur boxing when I was younger and had a charity fight a couple of years ago, but there’s no way I’d want to get into that pro ring,”

“Well, if a promoter offered me an extremely obscene amount of money to turn pro then I’d have to give it some serious thought , but with that unlikely, I’m very happy to leave it to Sammy and the others to get on with it!”

Cantwell challenges for his first title and aims to emulate father Mickey, the popular 90s British Flyweight Champion and four-time World Title Challenger, with a victory over Little.

He said, “I’d like to give Love Island a go, I’ve still got the boy looks and the bod, but my fiancé wouldn’t be too impressed with that!”

“Nathan and the rest of them have lived the life in that sunny villa, compared to me getting punched and battered in a sweaty old gym every day,”

“It’s the glory and pride to lift my first title that makes the sacrifice all worthwhile though. I saw my dad go through it and it’s motivating me to beat Little.”

The British Light-Heavyweight title showdown between Birmingham’s Shakan Pitters against Crystal Palace’s Craig Richards headlines the Hennessy Sports fight night, exclusively live on free-to-air Channel 5. Chief support features the Midlands Area Middleweight Title between Coventry’s River Bent and Burntwood’s Troy Coleman, plus the Southern Area Super-Flyweight Title between Bexleyheath’s Sammy Cantwell and Southampton’s Ricky Little. The undercard features unbeaten Irish super-lightweight sensation Stephen McKenna; Sevenoaks super-welterweight Michael Hennessy Jr. and Birmingham middleweight Idris Virgo.

For further information go to www.hennessysports.com or social media: Facebook @HennessySports, Twitter @HennessySports and Instagram @hennessysports

London, UK (1 August 2020) Sammy Cantwell and Ricky Little’s Southern Area Super-Flyweight showdown has been rescheduled to take place on Saturday 5th September.

The title fight will feature on the card headlined by Alex Dilmaghani’s challenge for the European Super-Featherweight title against Champion Samir Ziani, exclusively live on free-to-air Channel 5.

Presented by Mick Hennessy for Hennessy Sports in association with Ladbrokes, Infinitum, Numan and Everlast, the five-fight card to be staged behind-closed-doors at a purpose built TV production facility in Wakefield, also features cruiserweight talent Isaac Chamberlain and fast-rising Sevenoaks middleweight prospect Michael Hennessy Jr.

Bexleyheath’s Cantwell (7-1-1, 3 KO’s) was due to face Southampton’s Little (5-2-1, 1 KO), the Southern Area Champion, on April 25th in Crystal Palace, but the show was subsequently postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sammy, son of Mickey, the popular 90s British Flyweight Champion and four-time World Title Challenger, is thrilled that the fight has been rescheduled and is ready to claim his first title. And Mickey will be also working Sammy’s corner on the night of the fight.

“It’s fantastic that Mick has kept the title fight and I can’t wait to get in the ring. It’s been a very challenging time for everyone, but I’m thrilled to still be fighting where many boxers aren’t able to return to the ring yet. It will be strange without a crowd as I have a massive fan base, but I’m going all out to take that title from Little,” Said Cantwell.

Little said, “I’ve kept in shape throughout as I knew the fight would eventually come off so I’m ready right now for Cantwell. He wants the title so I’m expecting him to come in fully fit and prepared because he’s in for the fight of his life if he thinks he’s taking my title.”

Promoter Mick Hennessy added, “This could turn out to be a war between the pair, they have the biggest hearts and fight at a frenetic pace which could prove to be a real exciting fight between them. The show is complete now with Alex’s challenge for the European title as the headliner which I also expect to be a real thriller as both men are fully charged-up for the fight. With Isaac looking to make a statement in his return, plus my son Michael, it’s a cracking show, live and free on Channel 5.”

For further information go to www.hennessysports.com or social media: Facebook @HennessySports, Twitter @HennessySports and Instagram @hennessysports