Promoter Mark Neilson sure Swindon boxing fans are in for a thrill at Fight Town show at Oasis on Saturday

PROMOTER Mark Neilson admits to feeling a mixture of nerves and excitement ahead of the inaugural Fight Town I show at the Oasis Leisure Centre on Saturday night.

Set to feature 15 fights, including bouts for Paddy Fitzpatrick-trained talents Luke ‘Duke’ Watkins, Ryan Martin, Sam ‘Sniper’ Smith and Bec Connolly, Neilson has stated it will be the biggest boxing show Swindon has ever had, eclipsing his previous ‘Kings of the Ring’ event held late last year by a single fight.

Having announced the show back in the early days of 2019, Neilson cannot believe the show is now only a couple of days away and is praying things go smoothly from now until the final bell.

“The phone does not stop ringing now, I go to bed every night crossing my fingers and my toes,” said Neilson, who is promoting the show alongside Swindon trainer Fitzpatrick’s Trifecta stable.

“We all know what happened with Anthony Joshua last week with regards to his cancelled fight with Jarrell Miller in the United States.

“You go to bed not wanting any of that to happen, in particular to those guys at the top of the bill, because they will be training specifically for the opponents they are due to face.

“If there is a change of opponent at the last minute, then training will have to adapt. We’re still on for 15 fights, which is the biggest show Swindon has ever had.”

Neilson revealed tickets have completely sold out ringside and are very nearly sold out beyond that.

The Swindon-based promoter has predicted a high-quality night of boxing on Saturday for anyone who chooses to come and watch.

He said: “We’ve sold out of tables too – we’ve got none left.

“The demand for the show has been massive. Luke Watkins has certainly helped the interest.

“I had a meeting with the Oasis and made it clear that sometimes tickets start to come back from fighters who had 200 tickets to flog.

“But those tickets are not coming back. It’s actually the reverse, boxers are telling me that they need another 20 or 30 tickets.

“This is going to be a really well attended show.”

And with the first event not yet out of the way, although expected to be a roaring success, Neilson has already fixed a date for the second show in the series, Fight Town II, towards the end of September.

He said: ““We’ve always got one eye around the corner for the next show.

“We’ve already got the Oasis booked for Saturday, September 28.

“Paddy (Fitzpatrick) and I are working together on that one to continue the Fight Town series.

“We’re expecting to put a similar action-packed card on.

“There are exciting times ahead.”