By Andrew Wake:
They say that god loves a trier and it seems that all Dave Coldwell’s hard work over the years is beginning to reap the greatest rewards.
The Sheffield-based promoter has worked at high level in his capacity as head of boxing at Haymaker Promotions, but now it’s the time spent building his own business up from small hall status to potential big player which is turning heads.
In April, Coldwell will put on his biggest ever show as Tony Bellew defends his British light-heavyweight title against Norwich’s former European champion Danny McIntosh.
A partnership agreement with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Sports now means that eagerly anticipated match-up will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, but originally Coldwell and his business partner Spencer Fearn were prepared to risk the show on a non-TV basis.
It’s was a decision which shows the drive and determination Coldwell Boxing has and chances it is willing to make to break into the big time.
“If you’re a football team and you want to break into the Champions League you’ve got to take a bit of a gamble, splash out and hope that things work your way,” Coldwell explained.
“We knew what we had to pull in for it to work as a non-TV show and that’s what we budgeted towards. We’re not going to put in silly bids which we can’t afford. We know that if we do the work.
“I’ve done shows where outside of the arena people have not known who the fighters are and it’s not progressed me as a promoter in any way and I’ve still lost seven grand here and five grand there.
“Now that I’ve got an equal partner in Spencer Fearn the risk is halved so if we lose say 14 grand on a show, my half is only the seven I’ve lost before on smaller shows.
“If I’m willing to take that risk on smaller shows on my own then shows like this, which make the TV people sit up and take notice, is worth a punt.”
This summer Sky will decide which promoters it intends to work with in the coming season. With Frank Warren now doing his own thing on the subscription channel Boxnation, a space could be available for an eager you promoter like Coldwell.
And he’s already started to put together the kind of stable which gets the TV people excited by signing the likes of former ABA champion Hosea Burton and former British champion David Barnes.
“We want to go out there and try and make a statement,” Coldwell declared. “We want to make fights which excite the fans and make them want to see Coldwell Boxing on television.
“When the next round of TV dates start getting handed out I was us to be a very strong contender and if it’s not this year then I want to be a position where we cannot be refused the next time they come up.
