Portsmouth boxing club to team up with bare knuckle champion Mickey Parker in 24 hour fundraiser

Coaches at the Paulsgrove and Ted Harris ABC hope to get roughly 100 people joining the action, and have already confirmed that champion bare knuckle boxer Mickey Parker, and brothers Michael McKinson and Lucas Ballingall, will be involved.

Boxing coach and event organiser Dean Burley said: ‘It's going to be a monstrous task - it's a long, long time to pad.

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‘It’s going to be three three-minute rounds for every person that wants to come and get involved. It will be non-stop. At least one person will be continuously padding throughout the day.

‘Even if the numbers fall and the team members need to carry on, we’ll take it upon ourselves to make sure we’re going through the night.

Dean came up with the idea for the event with fellow ABC coach Paul Dyer. 34 year old Dean lost his father Dave Burley to a brain injury and hopes to raise as much money as he can for the FFC. The charity started its life as ‘Football for Cancer’ but has since expanded into various sporting events which donates money directly to families impacted by cancer in the south of England.

Dean added: ‘My dad was heavily involved with the FFC and I can’t kick a football for toffee so this was my way of just trying to give back and keep his name alive.

‘People look at boxers as nasty menacing men but they’re probably the biggest-hearted blokes out there.

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‘I just want to produce a fun day and get as many bodies from the age of five and up, it doesn’t matter about the ability. It's just about getting out and getting involved in this event and making someone’s life easier who really does need help.

‘No-one’s asked for cancer. It’s a vile disease and people that are sadly struck with it, everybody should be trying to help out.’

At least one boxer will be throwing punches at a training pad from 4pm on Friday, February 24 until 4pm on Saturday, February 25 in the Paulsgrove Community Centre, Marsden Road.