Gateshead Boxer in Bare Knuckle Triumph

Gateshead fitness instructor Tom Gallagher is celebrating travelling to West Yorkshire to win his latest bare knuckle boxing contest at lightweight with veteran fighter Phil Hammond on Fight Fest Five, an open-air show in which fights take place in pits made from bales of hay.

‘I’m proud of my performance,’ said Gallagher, ‘I got an early stoppage having dictated the range of the fight from the outset. I caught him with a lucky right-hand shot. I love the concept of fighting in the pit, closeness of the combat, at most five square metres with the two fighters and the referee. You just get on with it and pray. This is my sixth bare knuckle win. I’ll probably carry on. I’ve got a future opponent in mind, a fighter that I respect. There’s no animosity. People might be surprised but the bare-knuckle world can be like a family. For me it’s all about building confidence and improving my self-worth. The bare-knuckle world provides the best therapy.’

Opponent Phil Hammond was complimentary about Gallagher. ‘Pound for pound he’s arguably the best bare-knuckle fighter I’ve ever met. It was a privilege, honour even, to have shared the ring with this lovely young man.’

The event in Mirfield was organised by Spartan Wars Fight Club which is the brainchild of bare-knuckle boxing promoter Christian Roberts. ‘We set it up in 2017 after hearing of the fatal stabbing of a young boy in London as we wanted to change the knife culture with a ‘gloves up, knives down’ approach to allow young men to settle differences in a controlled environment. We currently hold five shows a year across the North and plan on growing the promotion to hold up to twenty-four annually throughout the country.’

Gallagher lives with his family in Wrekenton. Individuals or companies interested in sponsoring Tom Gallagher to help him progress in the bare-knuckle world can best contact him via Facebook Messenger or e-mail at [email protected] .