Strength of Northampton boxing scene will be on show at The Deco

The strength of the blossoming professional boxing scene in Northampton will be there for all to see on Sunday afternoon when The Deco Theatre hosts its Destruction Day (4.30pm start).
Carl FailCarl Fail
Carl Fail

The nine-bout event at the Abington Square venue will feature no fewer than FIVE boxers from the town, with three each from the Team Shoe-Box gym and two from Far Cotton.

There are professional debuts for the Team Shoe-Box trio of Ryan Conway, Ben Vaughan and Dempsey Madden, while co-headlining will be Far Cotton’s Carl Fail, who is a co-headliner with Conway.

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Also on the bill from Cotton will be Conner Downs, but unfortunately Carl’s twin brother Ben has had to pull out of the show due to injury.

The unbeaten Carl Fail and Downs will be taking part in their third professional bouts.

It is a big day for Northampton professional boxing, which has also seen the likes of Kieron Conway - who fights JJ Metcalf in Liverpool this Saturday - Eithan James and Chantelle Cameron making serious waves on the national scene.

That is the ambition of all the fighters in action at The Deco as well, and Carl Fail can’t wait to get out and perform in his home town for the first time since he was a young teenager at the Cotton club on Towcester Road.

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“We got presented with this chance to fight in Northampton, and me and my brother haven’t done that since we were young kids, probably when we were 12 or 13,” said the 24-year-old.

“So to be asked to be the main event as well is a great feeling, and I feel really humbled and really proud.

“The support we have had has been unbelievable, and we sold out all of our tickets in a matter of about four or five days.

“The Deco is a brilliant venue, and with it being a theatre the way it is set up means everybody will be looking over us and the atmosphere is going to be unbelievable.

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“I am really looking forward to going out and putting on a performance for everybody in my home town.”

Carl is pencilled in to fight Poland ‘s Sebastian Wojtan, a 40-year-old who has two fights and a win and a loss to his name.

There is a fear he could be ruled out through injury, but Fail says he will still be fighting.

“If the original boxer pulls out, we have got a replacement ready, so I have defintiely got a fight,” he said. “If I do fight him (Wojtan) he is lively as he has won by knockout and lost by one as well.

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“But I have said it before, me and my brother we don’t want easy fights.

“We like a challenge and somebody who is going to come for us.

“We want to learn on the job instead of taking on somebody who is just going to cover up for six rounds. We would rather be in a fight.”

The fight will be Carl’s first since April, and he admitted: “It has felt like a long lay-off, but I have stayed in the gym and I have stayed ready.

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“I was waiting for any opportunity but because of Covid and stuff there were still some problems.

“But I stayed ready so that when I got this opportunity to fight in Northampton I jumped at the chance.”

Making up the rest of the bill are London super middleweight Ryan Robinson, who will defend his six-fight 100 per cent record against Robbie Chapman, Jordan Flynn from Oxford and another fighter making his pro debut, Tom Akindele Magbagbeola.

Robinson is the nephew of former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.

Email [email protected] for ticket details.

Carl Fail is sponsored by Euro Building, Euro Scaffolding, DR Carpentry & Kitchens, Michaels Golden Chippy and The Butchers Block UK.