BoxRec

I've been asked to do some research into a sort of 'lions of the ring' type affair. It may turn into a book.

I'm mainly interested in fighters who had a big regional following, they don't have to have gone on to be successful in fact in some ways it's better if they didn't. Anyone who started out fighting in small hall fights with no TV backing, so between say 1980 to the present.

Who were people's favourites and why?

If anyone is interested in being interviewed on their favourite fighters/fights of this type email me and I can set something up.

on a personal level,watching ross hale rise from local amateur level to putting together an unbeaten run on small hall shows,the huge following he had wherever he went,was an amazing feeling.taking 5 coaches of people to watch ross fight last on the bill at crystal palace on the undercard of darren dyer-del bryan fight,the local shows that almost always sold out,the shocker of the broken jaw defeat to andreas panayi in cardiff and ultimately winning the british title stopping andy holligan in bristol-proper roller coaster ride,i can still hear the crowd now-happy days,always huge support and a top bloke too......
sorry,where was i? oh yeah,happy to help if this sort of thing would be useful to you,i"m off back to 1994

I don't know that much about the following, but you'd definately have to do an chapter on Steve Foster. I remember a Eubank fight as a champ in Manchester and half the fans where wearing viking helmets.... I thought how strange.

He had a huge following.