There will be plenty of local talent showcased on July 18 at the Port Theater in Nanaimo as first time promoter Terry Strawson is putting the finishing touches on a boxing event.
Strawson, along with business partner Andrew Wilde, will be hosting their first ever event and it will feature plenty of local talent looking to put on a show for the hometown fans.
“We’re gonna have local guys Aubrey Morrow, Shane Andreesen, Duncan Wilson, Mike Dowsett and Josh Sheppard,” Strawson said. “It’s our first event we’ve ever done and we’re really excited about it. We wanted to get some guys in here that the local people could really get behind and there will be some quality fights.”
For Strawson Boxing — the legal name for Strawson and Wilde is still pending — it’s been a busy year trying to put this together. They’ve been working hard to get some sponsorship and are still looking to get some more sponsors on board to help out with the event.
“We were lucky to get such a great venue in the Port Theater and we’ve got the Coast Bastion on board as well for all the fighters to stay there,” Strawson said. “We’re working on getting as many sponsors as we can to make this the great event we know it’s going to be, every little bit will help.”
For Aubrey “Bam Bam” Morrow, it’s going to be his first time back in the ring since 2010. With a record of five wins and one loss with four of those five wins by knockout, Morrow will be looking to regain his old form.
As for “The Heartbreak Kid” Duncan Wilson, who fights as a middleweight for the Fivestar Fight League (MMA), he will be making his professional boxing debut at the event.
“Shotgun” Shane Andreesen will be looking to get back into the win column after losing his last fight via unanimous decision in December 2012. Josh Sheppard will be donating his earnings on the night to a charity of his choosing. This will also be his first professional fight. Mike Dowsett is a former kickboxing champion who has just started his professional boxing career.
“It’s going to be great. Having all these guys commit to this event speaks volumes to who they are,” Strawson said. “To have them all fighting on this card is going to be a great night. They’re all great fighters.”
Another name on the card on July 18 will be Dashon Johnson, who comes to Nanaimo by way of Escondido, California.
Johnson, who goes by “Fly Boy,” is currently an MMA fighter with an 8–0 record.
Johnson has been flirting with signing on with the UFC and is on the short list for the new TITAN fight league, which is owned by CBS. Johnson hasn’t signed with TITAN and says he is keeping his options open.
