Farrell, Goldsmith - two of local game’s brightest future stars

Niall Farrell at Saturday’s press conference

TWO exceptional talents continue pro journeys that appear destined for the top at Planet Ice, Solihull, on September 9.

Both Birmingham’s Niall Farrell and Bradley Goldsmith, from Coventry, are taking a huge number of fans with them.

Former Team GB star Farrell, campaigning at lightweight, has sold close to 550 tickets for the show, a truly phenomenal figure in today’s financial climate. And there’s still weeks to go.

Middleweight Goldsmith, trained by Dominic Ingle in Sheffield, will, I’m sure, also enjoy colossal support in Solihull where the 25-year-old goes for his ninth straight win.

Both men are considered something special and slots on televised arena bills cannot be far away.

At Saturday’s press conference for Planet Ice, Brad told me: “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to be on these big shows. Listen, if the deal was right I’d sign tomorrow.

“But I’m serving my apprenticeship, it’s all part of the plan. After 10 fights, we’ll look where the land lies. I’m a great believer of what will be, will be.”

He and Farrell have been added to a bill that already includes the Top Boxer lightweight tournament and Scott Melvin – Mykey Lee Broughton Midlands title fight.

Bradley Goldsmith…painting the middleweight rankings sky blue

“I’m excited to be a part of it,” Goldsmith added. “It’s got that trip into the unknown that these knockout tournaments give fans – prospect against prospect. It’s going to be a good night.”

Niall Farrell, aged 25, is an interviewer’s dream: Team GB have taught him well in the art of dealing with the media. On September 9, he faces Logan Paling in his third paid contest.

Trained by dad Paddy, Niall burns with boxing ability. But the bottom line is, he simply loves to fight.

“It’s great everyone is buzzing about the show,” he said. “I’m so lucky to have support like that – and the fans have followed me through the years, right from the beginning. When I was fighting all over the world as an amateur, they couldn’t get to see me. Now they can.

“I don’t mind the training – I train hard, but it’s the fighting that I love. I love a fight and I’m bringing maximum violence.”

On future contests in big arenas, Niall said: “I’ve a great team around me. I’ve spoken to Jon (Pegg) and it’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when. I’m in no rush. Hopefully, Jon can get me six fights by the end of the year and when the opportunity does come, we’ll sell out places.

“The whole idea is to be as busy as we can. I’ll be 4-0 by the end of September. An active fighter is a happy fighter and a happy fighter is a dangerous fighter.”