AFTER newfound fame on Netflix and a push for European football – Sunderland could be the next football side to host a boxing event.
Britain has seen excellent but unexpected fights hosted by club grounds, including Ipswich’s Portman Road and Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium.
Former Cherries season ticket holder Chris Billam-Smith won the cruiserweight crown in his backyard in 2023.
And heavyweight Fabio Wardley pulled off a stunning come-from-behind KO to beat Justis Huni in front of the Tractor Boys faithful last year.
Tottenham’s £1billion stadium has also become a go-to for promoters – twice hosting Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn last year.
But SunSport understands Sunderland – 10th in the Premier League, pushing for a European spot – are also interested in getting into the boxing business.
Their fly-on-the-wall Sunderland ‘Til I Die series is hugely popular on Netflix and their third season is airing this year.
The iconic Stadium of Light – which was constructed in 1997 – fits nearly 49,000 on matchdays but would extend for boxing.
It has also been used for rugby union and England international games.
Boxing in Tyneside and Wearside has been quietly building over the years – but Sunderland FC are ready to inject a shot in the arm.
The Home of Boxing in 2026
There’s a massive year of boxing ahead!
It’s shaping up to be a blockbuster year of action inside the boxing ring.
Tyson Fury is expected to make his return, Conor Benn is closing in on a world title shot and Fabio Wardley will defend his newly won heavyweight crown.
Canelo Alvarez will be hoping to return after his defeat to Terence Crawford and heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk will also need to defend his straps.
Derek Chisora could fight for the 50th and final time and Daniel Dubois is also on the comeback trail.
A whole bunch of British stars could also take a leap into superstardom, with the likes of Moses Itauma, Hamzah Sheeraz and Adam Azim ready to join the very top of the sport.
Up first we have a massive fight with Stateside superstars Shakur Stevenson and Teofimo Lopez meeting later this month in Madison Square Garden.
Here’s all the big fights coming up…
January
- Sat 24 – Raymond Muratalla vs Andy Cruz – IBF lightweight title – DAZN
- Sat 31 – Teofimo Lopez vs Shakur Stevenson – WBO super-lightweight title – DAZN PPV
- Sat 31 – Bakhram Murtazaliev vs Josh Kelly – IBF super-welterweight title – DAZN
- Sat 31 – Francesca Hennessy vs Ellie Bouttell – BBC2
February
- Sat 7 – Nick Ball vs Brandon Figueroa – WBA featherweight title – DAZN
- Sat 21 – Ryan Garcia vs Mario Barrios – WBC welterweight title – DAZN PPV
- Sat 21 – Leigh Wood vs Josh Warrington – DAZN
- Sun 22 – Claressa Shields vs Franchon Crews-Dezurn – heavyweight unification – DAZN
- Sat 28 – Emanuel Navarrete vs Eduardo Nunez – super-featherweight unification – DAZN
March
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Josh Kelly – who fights for his first world title on Saturday night against Bakhram Murtazaliev on DAZN – played for the Black Cats academy.
He is still a regular on matchdays and has built a following amongst the local fan base – dating back to his Olympic appearance in 2016.
Brothers Pat and Luke McCormack hail for the hugely successful Birtley amateur gym – which also produced 5-1 Calum French.
Kiaran MacDonald – who boxed for England and won European silver – is the latest Mackem hopeful turning pro under ex-world champ Anthony Crolla on Kelly’s Toon undercard.
And MacDonald told our No Glove Lost YouTube show: “The football always comes into it, it always boils back down to the football.
“But deep down I think the boxing and the fighting culture in the North East, everyone sort of gets behind each other and wants everyone to do well because we don’t have much boxing in the North East.
“So we need everyone to pull together. There’s a lot of talent up there and there always has been.
“We’re all working class people and we like to fight for everything we have. It’s just trying to get the headliners into the North East who can sell out the arenas. Everything will bounce off that.
“With Josh Kelly fighting up there, if he goes on to win his world title, it will catapult from there.”
Lewis Ritson, the former British lightweight champ, also proudly wore the black and white of Newcastle on his shorts.
Glenn McCrory – from County Durham – held the cruiserweight world title and also sparred Mike Tyson.
So it is no wonder Tyson was a surprise regular in the North East when touring in the UK.
The reformed Baddest Man on The Planet infamously offered to help Paul Gascoigne in a 2008 visit when the England great was going through personal troubles.
Dating back even further, Sonny Liston rode through a white horse through the streets of Newcastle during an exhibition visit.
Two years later, Joe Louis was pictured hanging out with notorious London gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray at their La Dolce Vita nightclub in Newcastle.
Frank Bruno rocked up to the 1997 club opening of Ikon – which closed down in 2015 – one year after losing his last-ever fight, to Tyson.
But perhaps the area’s most iconic flyby visit was when The Greatest Muhammad Ali came to Tyneside in 1977.
Organised by boxer Johnny Walker, Ali visited a local amateur boxing club, met fans on an open top bus and even laced up the gloves for a public sparring session.
So while big-time boxing has not yet reached Tyne and Wear – the area is clearly no stranger to boxing greatness.
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