Hot on the heels of October's successful boxing night, former world champion kickboxer, Gary Briggs and promoter Danny Maloney have teamed up to present the Norfolk Pride night on Saturday 13 November. The evening should have some added bite, with many of the local fighters on the cards coming up against counterparts from south of the county border. “That’s the reason we’ve called it Norfolk Pride. We’ve got a lot of local fighters on the bill. Martin Lamb, who everyone around here should know, is fighting an up-and-coming lad from Ipswich, Liam Cullum," said Gary Briggs.
 | | Kickboxer Martin Lamb |
“Obviously we also have a title fight on the night. It's the vacant southern area title which Luke Wigley, one of the most promising youngsters to come out of this area, will be contesting with Mickey Robinson, also from Ipswich,” he added. That fight should draw decent support from the northern area of Norwich, as Wigley is a relative of another Norwich favourite, former kickboxer and now lightweight Boxer Jon Thaxton. “Luke’s a second cousin to Jon. Going back a few years to when I used to train Jon in kick boxing, there’s a lot of similarities between the two," explains Briggs. "Luke’s inherited a lot of skill through those family ties and if he wants to he can go all the way - he’s got a big future,” he added. Top of the bill sees Mark (The Surgeon) Weller up against continental opposition in the shape of Belgian Champion Fabrice Riconeau. Weller, like Briggs is a former world champion. His opponent should be no pushover though, as Belgium has become known as quite a hotbed for the sport. “All the European countries are big for kickboxing. We’ve got a lot of good fighters in England but the difference between us and other European countries is that their governments give them backing, and a lot of continental fighters are professional or semi-professional. Our lads have day jobs to keep them going between fights,” Briggs explained. Promoter Danny Maloney is equally excited about the forthcoming night and said he wants everyone to turn up in their Norwich City shirts to support the kickboxers fighting their opponents from Ipswich. ”Matt Clarey’s going for an English title. It’s not many show’s you’ll see with two title fights on the bill so we’re delighted with that," said Danny Maloney. "Another young lad fighting is 13-year-old Sam Dak. Take it from me, this lad’s going to be big. He’s got what it takes to be world champion, just like Gary, and if he doesn’t make it, he’s let himself down - he’s that good,” he added.
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