Jamie Spence
AMBITIOUS fighter Jamie Spence is a local boy made good.
The 24 year-old lightweight from Northampton has set twin goals in pursuit of his dream. And Dalepak has pledged to help him along the way.
As well as training hard in his ultimate dream of becoming the first British champion from his home town, Jamie is keen to harness the ranks of enthusiastic local support to put on a show in the town. He is actively seeking a promoter with his Peterborough based manager Gary DeRoux, himself a former British featherweight champion.
Five victories from seven fights since turning professional at the end of 2006 have confirmed the promise of Jamie’s amateur career that spawned around 65 fights. Now it seems, the only way is up for an all-action fighter who has been labelled ‘Mr Excitement’ on web-sites and by his local newspaper, the Chronicle & Echo.
He said: “Boxing often comes down to who wants it the most, and that suits me.”
He added: “It is great to have the sponsorship from Dalepak and to know they are right behind me.”
Jamie is currently training in Peterborough three or four times a week and has also been sparring in Southend, Newark and Sheffield, saying: “It is good to travel to different places and vary the people you spar against. It helps to keep you fresh.”
He added: “The Southend trips are at the same club as Olympic champion James DeGale who won his gold medal at middleweight in Beijing.”
Jamie erased the memory of his defeat by Lee Purdy last April by coming out to outpoint East Ham southpaw Johnny Greaves over four gruelling rounds at Sleaford in November. He could box Amir Unsworth for a title in Sleaford on May 23.
Jamie’s dream of taking centre stage on a boxing show in Northampton is very much alive and he says: “I know from people I speak to in this town how popular it would be. The last time there was a professional show here I know the locals were surprised and disappointed I wasn’t actually fighting on it myself.”