Unbeaten light-middleweight prospect Thomas Costello is no stranger to the inside of some of the country’s most notorious prisons. Fortunately it’s as a visitor preaching the benefits of boxing rather than an inmate. But the Birmingham teenager admits that if it wasn’t for the fight game, he could be watching the lectures rather than giving them. “I come from a pretty rough part of Birmingham, and a lot of the lads I grew up with went off the rails,” said the 19-year-old who fights in his home city on October 31 at the Aston Events Centre..
“Boxing’s been my life and now I prefer a night in with my girlfriend to going out on the town. About the most exciting thing I do outside of boxing is carp fishing!
“But if the sport hadn’t come along then I might have been one of the boys I visit on the inside. I could easily have gone down that road.”
Costello, undefeated in six fights, makes regular trips to Young Offender Institutions in Birmingham, and also takes his gloves and punch bags to a number of the city’s schools.
“It’s important to give something back to the community, and hopefully what I’m doing will encourage a few more people to take up boxing,” said Costello.
“It’s given me such an amazing chance in life. May be it can give others hope as well.”
An outstanding amateur, Costello is trained by his dad John, a former boxer, and he says that he owes much of his success to him.
“My dad gave up work a few years ago to help me,” said Costello. “He was a pretty good fighter himself so he knew what I was going through, and has always been there.
“He’s got a couple of decent prospects in the gym, and then there’s my little brother Joe, who is European champion and world number one at his weight in the U17s.”
Costello, who says he may end up at super-middleweight, will next appear at the Aston Villa Events Centre on October 31 on a card topped by fellow Brummie Don Broadhurst.
And he is relishing the resurgence of boxing in England’s second city.
Costello featured on the undercard of the Amir Khan-Michael Gomez scrap at the N.I.A in June that was a 10,000 sell-out.
“It’s great that we’re doing big shows again up here,” he said. “Fighting at the N.I.A on Khan’s undercard was really special and I’m sure in time I can become a big attraction in Birmingham with my exciting style. There’s some really talented lads both professional and amateur, and I can’t wait to start fighting for titles myself.
“But too many boxers have ruined themselves by thinking about too much too soon, so I’ll just be taking my time and not rushing things.”
Tickets for the Aston Events Show are available from the Ticket Factory 0871 945 6000 or Aston Events Box Office 0121 327 1649.
JULIO DIAZ vs. FERNANDO TREJO from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Las Vegas, Friday, Oct. 31, 2008, on TeleFutura 5 p.m. PT
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Oct. 14, 2008) – Former lightweight champion Julio Diaz (35-4, 26 KOs) will spend Halloween night inside a ring as he takes on the grizzled veteran Fernando Trejo (30-14-4, 18 KOs) on Friday, Oct. 31, from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino televised on TeleFutura (5 p.m. PT).
The ten-round lightweight bout is promoted by Top Rank in association with Sycuan Ringside Promotions of San Diego, Calif.
One year removed from his lightweight unification loss to Juan Diaz, Julio plans on making a statement on All Hallows’ Eve.
“I think I belong with the best in the lightweight division,” said Diaz, who lives and trains out of Palm Springs, Calif. “My fight against Juan [Diaz] wasn’t the real Julio. You’ll see the real Julio on Halloween night.”
Trejo of Jarrell, Texas by way of Mexico City, Mexico, doesn’t have the shiniest of records, but he does have a solid chin as only one of his fourteen losses has come by knockout.
“Trejo is an experienced fighter,” Diaz said. “Young, undefeated fighters don’t want a piece of me because they know what will happen. Trejo, on the other hand, isn’t afraid. He will come out swinging.”
Diaz, who looked flawless in his last outing against David Torres in June at the Playboy Mansion, said he could have finished Torres in three rounds as opposed to the fifth round stoppage.
“I knew Torres wasn’t in my league from the first round,” Diaz said. “I used a few rounds to try some new things because I knew the knockout was just around the corner.”
The 28-year-old Diaz, who stands five-feet nine inches, showed up to training camp fit and hungry for another victory.
“I’ve never seen Julio this anxious to get into world title contention,” said Joel Diaz, Julio’s older brother and trainer. “Even when he was a young lion looking for his first world title shot he wasn’t this fired up.
“That’s because the fire burns more intense once you become a world champion and get dethroned. You want it more because you’ve already had a taste and you miss it. Julio won’t rest until he becomes world champion again.”
CERVEZA TECATE IGNITES PUERTO RICO WITH AN ELECTRIFYING “SOLO BOXEO TECATE” WELTERWEIGHT ENCOUNTER
Live TV Program to Feature Power-charged Bout between Irving Garcia and Chris Smith
The authentic bold Mexican cerveza Tecate presents another hot-action boxing night from Hatillo, Puerto Rico, as part of its continued efforts to bring the power of the sport to fans across the nation.
This Friday, the weekly Telefutura box series “Solo Boxeo Tecate” will showcase Irving Garcia (16-3-3, 8 KO’s) and Chris Smith (21-5-1, 13 KO’s) in 10 rounds of Welterweight combat. Garcia has won three matches this year by technical decisions, including the fight against Sergio Garcia last march when the fighter won the WBC Latino Welterweight. After his technical drawn for the WBA Interim Welterweight Title against Juri Nuznienko, the Puerto Rican is ready to demonstrate his talent from the stage of his home country. Coming from New York, Chris Smith returns to the “Solo Boxeo Tecate” after his fight against Jesus Soto-Karass last April, looking for an opportunity to show the world his boxing skills.
The co-main event of the night will pair up Jose Angel Beranza (30-13-2 25 KO’s) from Mexico City, MX and Jonathan Oquendo (14-2, 9 KO’s) from Vega Alta, Puerto Rico in 10 Super Bantamweight rounds.