Second title fight added to Berridge card

BUTCHER VS BUTCHER: Robert Berridge meets Barry at the Wanganui Rugby Football Union offices yesterday afternoon.PHOTO/STUART MUNRO 100415WCSMBERRIDGE1

April 25's Rise of the Fallen is now shaping up as the highest-profile boxing show ever in Wanganui with a second New Zealand title fight added to the undercard.

In addition to Wanganui-born light-heavyweight Robert "the Butcher" Berridge defending his NZPBA belt against Andrew Robinson, a third professional fight will be Taranaki's Daniel Maxwell defending the NZPBA super welterweight crown against Wellington's Blake Bell.

A journeyman, who has had 37 fights as an amateur and 28 as a professional, Maxwell won the vacant title in his home town of Waitara in February against a Ben Sisam.

This will be Bell's second professional fight and co-promotor Paul Berridge said he favours the more experienced Maxwell in the 10-round title match.

In another change, John Roil has withdrawn from his professional fight against former kickboxer Tipene Maniapoto.

However, the replacement is intriguing in Wellington's Angus Lindsay, also changing over from Muay Thai.

Paul Berridge said Lindsay beat Maniapoto in a kickboxing bout previously, so this will be a rematch in a different fighting discipline.

But the one the crowd will come to see is Robert Berridge, who has been in Wanganui for training and visiting supporting businesses this week.

The showcase card has been arranged in between Berridge's comeback victory over Togasilimai Letoa in Victoria last month, then going back into camp for another fight in Perth on May 29.

That match will be for the IBO Intercontinental belt and Paul Berridge said they are looking to get recognition from the International Boxing Organisation for April's fight to also be for an IBO Oceania title.

"Training's been good, trying to get the ball rolling from my camp in Australia," said Robert Berridge yesterday.

Again, a problem he faces in this country is a lack of boxers either available or willing to spar with him - a planned session this week with leading Taranaki fighter Sam Rapira fell through.

"That's one of the things being back in New Zealand. In Australia, there's people after people [for sparring]."

So, it's back to the road work and the heavy bag for the southpaw with record of 25-2-1 with 21 knockouts.

After a disastrous end to 2014 where he was beaten in American by undefeated Russian Vasily Lepikhin, then lost his promotional contract with Duco Events over behavioural issues, Berridge agreed it had been a big relief to climb back in the ring and knock out Letoa.

"Still been training my arse off," He said. "It was good to put things into practice and it paid off " caught him with a flush right hand."

While he has lived his adult life in Auckland, Robert Berridge feels the home of his birth will be just as important to him. "The smaller towns get on it better.

"It will be really good to fight down here, get some support and hopefully pulling in a big crowd."