A HOST of the county’s most exciting up-and-coming boxers will be on the bill when professional boxing returns to Chippenham next month, for the first time in two decades.

Swindon-based promoter Keith Mayo is staging his first bill at the Olympiad Leisure Centre on October 16, with seven bouts scheduled on the card.

Calne-born former kickboxer and super- middleweight Andrew McCaffrey is expected to top the bill in only his second professional bout, while Melksham super-featherweight Liam Richards and Trowbridge middleweight Nick Blackwell will also be donning their gloves in Chippenham.

They’ll be joined by Swindon’s Kelvin Young and Craig Leadbeater, Bristol’s Dan Stewart and Devon’s Jamie Speight.

Promoter Mayo is excited to be bringing professional boxing back to Chippenham and thinks that the town is the perfect place to bring together some of the area’s most promising talents.

“We’ve done shows in Swindon, Cheltenham and Torquay – it’s really where the boxers are at the moment,” he said.

“Chippenham makes sense. I know they enjoy their boxing and there’s been many amatuer shows there over the years and I wanted to give it another try.

“Because we’ve got lads from Trowbridge, Melksham and Calne , they’ve all got links with the town and I think the Olympiad is a good venue.

“I’m always excited about putting shows on and this will be our ninth show - they’ve all been successful and hopefully people will come back next time.

“We’ve got seven bouts on and it’s looking good at the moment - we’re all looking forward to it.”

Ross Hale, who went on to become British and Commonwealth light-welterweight champion, beat Andy Holigan in the main event of the last card staged at Chippenham, in November 1990.

Mayo hasn’t ruled out the possibility of his shows becoming a regular event.

“We’ll see what the reaction is because unfortunately, in this promoting game, it’s all about bums on seats and selling tickets. But hopefully everyone will go away happy, having enjoyed a good night of boxing,” he said.

“I do live in Swindon but I know a lot of people in Chippenham and things are looking good already.”

Details of the bill and ticket information are available at kmpromotions.co.uk