Stefan Hanks is busy arranging for fighters from all over England and many from abroad to converge on Fenton Manor Leisure Centre on Saturday 18th May for Day of Reckoning, a major show organised by his bare-knuckle boxing promotion Bad to the Bone, (BTTB). 

"It's Britain's biggest bare-knuckle festival if not Europe's with eighteen bouts scheduled. There'll also be ten gloved fights" explained Hanks, a 44-year-old tattooist hailing from Stoke-on-Trent. "Boxing has been my passion since I was just ten years old. My fascination with bare knuckle fighting grew stronger so I set up Bad to the Bone to promote the sport I'd come to love. In February 2018, we organized our first show right here. Since then, we've been on an incredible growth journey. We now stand proud as one of the biggest bare-knuckle companies in Europe attracting fighters from everywhere."

Mark Holmes from Leeds at 43 is fighting for the BTTB European title against Polish fighter Dawid Chylinski. "Stefan Hanks and his boxers have made me more welcome than anyone else in boxing ever has and although I've been to war with one of the lads twice in the ring, we are firm friends. I'm now one of their own and can't commend them highly enough."

Brandon Morris, 21, will make his bare-knuckle debut at Fenton Manor (Bad to the Bone).

Brandon Morris first boxed aged thirteen on a show at the King's Hall. Now a twenty-one-year-old coach builder Morris is making his bare-knuckle debut at Fenton Manor. "I want to be a bare-knuckle boxer because having had a good number of regular boxing fights I just want to challenge myself and hopefully get to a good level in bare-knuckle. I fancied a change. I love fighting it's my bread and butter probably the thing I'm best at and bare knuckle seems a lot more challenging than gloved bouts. I'm determined to work hard and do well."

The former St. Margaret Ward Catholic Academy student explains that he's "training hard at Chris Edwards Boxing Academy up to four times a week. Steff Hanks has been coaching me personally. He pushes us hard and corrects bad habits quickly. I've not ruled out going back to gloved bouts but I'm ambitious to reach a high level in bare-knuckle boxing. I realise the sport is dangerous but I'm confident I can survive unscathed."

Morris will fight Tony McIntosh over three two-minute rounds. Hanks states that "this is an exciting match-up of two rock hard young fighters with Tony determined to prove himself and Brandon full of ambition. It'll be a clash of grit and hunger." Morris concurs stating "fair play to Tony for having the guts to fight me but I plan to make a statement with a first-round knockout on my debut, so I'll be celebrating in the ring while he's lying flat out on the canvas."

Nineteen-year-old Harrison Walker has found boxing success with the Stoke promotion but as a gloved boxer. "I've had seventeen bouts," said Walker, "winning thirteen of them losing two and drawing two. I train at Chris Edwards Academy in Longton, and I've been boxing for seven years. I started because things weren't going too well at high school and I needed a focus. The event next Saturday is by far my biggest challenge yet facing a much more experienced opponent who's won all but three of his 35 fights. I currently hold the BTTB British middleweight title and the IBC silver middleweight title."

Harrison Walker, 19, found boxing success as a gloved boxer (Mark Hempel).

Walker, who describes himself as an obsessive Stoke City fan, won his first title defence with a first-round knockout and is to become a professional boxer. "It's all I want. Longer, more challenging fights to represent our city and bring title belts here. I've got five sponsors, Taylor Made Construction, HQ Barber Shop, The Catering Butchers, Tile Central UK, and Tods, all Longton-based."

Eighteen-year-old Jack Barrs trains with Morris and Walker and "joined three years ago to keep fit and healthy." Saturday's event sees Barrs competing for his first title "It's my first five round fight and a test to work hard to succeed. I'm grateful to people in boxing willing to help me enhance skills and who stick with you despite setbacks."

Barrs is a second year Stoke Sixth Form College Student who admires Tyson Fury for "coming from nothing and successfully facing mental health challenges which motivates me that no matter what you can succeed in coming back. This Saturday 18th May I'm fighting Oli Clews for the promotion's Midlands Area Title. I've benefited from BTTB because it's allowed me to fight on the shows and gain experience for my boxing journey." Barrs' father Steven describes parental pride in "our tough talented power-punching young son who was aggressively dominating grown men in the ring at just seventeen."

The exciting event will take place at Fenton Manor on Saturday 18 May (Nub News).

BTTB fighters share characteristics with the hero of the eponymous song by George Thoroughgood and The Destroyers in being exciting and exhilarating and possibly rebellious leading promoter Hanks to conclude that "we're gearing up for our most monumental event yet when attendees will see over fifty exceptionally skilled boxers showcasing their talent. It's going to be a night to remember. You won't want to miss it!"

Stefan Hanks is keen to thank publicly the following sponsors of The Fenton Manor event: Staffordshire Waste, BSI B SURE installations, BSR B SURE RECYCLING, Supplement Heaven, Gossip Night Club, Supplement Junction, Smart Electrical Installations, Tiles Direct, Damant Maintenance and Properties, M&J Security, MJS Car Sales, A&D Gates, Smart Electrical Installations. 

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