IT’S positively raining Joneses, with yet another added to a show that may end-up setting some weird Guinness World record.
Now heavy-hitting prospect Brandon Jones has been added to the Holiday Inn, Birmingham Airport, bill on August 29.
The event has been titled “It’s A Jones Thing”. It’s certainly that, with four of them on the bill. Actually, five, if you count the Tom Jones tribute act booked to belt out classics between bouts.
Chelmsley Wood’s Brandon is the cousin of former English light-heavyweight champ Troy Jones who fights in the main event.
On the undercard, identical twins Dave and Rob Jones both have their second paid outing. The former army champs, from Shirley, are not related to the aforementioned Joneses, but all are good friends.
After two years away from the ring, Brandon made his comeback in June and outpointed Robbie Chapman. That was his ninth win on the spin, four of those victories coming by stoppage.
It was the 25-year-old’s first bout for new trainer Wayne Elcock, the man who guided Brandon to two national titles.
Wayne has stressed his fighter’s future lies at super-middle, not in the light-heavyweight division where he’s been campaigning.
Back in June, Wayne said: “I told him, ‘the deal is you are going down a weight. You’re not a light-heavyweight or a cruiser – you’re not big enough’.”
It’s advice Jones has heeded. He weighed a career lightest 12st 4lbs for Chapman.
“We’ve got to find the old Brandon, the one that won two national titles. His work was sharp and clean,” said former British middleweight champ Wayne.
“I think he can emulate what he did in the amateurs. I believe he can get a British title all day long, but it’s one step at a time. I’m old school, I like the traditional route – first the Midlands, then the English, then the British.”
Brandon told me: “I’d love to win the British title and I believe with my head screwed on I can do it.”
He gains inspiration from cousin Troy and aims to emulate his success.
“We support each other,” added Brandon. “I look up to Troy, he knows what he’s doing. Winning the English title was amazing and even his last fight was unbelievable.”
Brandon’s an exciting addition to a show that poses only one problem for this writer.
Does anyone else find it hard to keep up with the Joneses?
