![\"(L-R)](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_JS391723305.jpg\")
(L-R) AJ Patterson, Shaun Wales, Jayden Oliver, Joe Willetts, Daniel ‘Rampage’ Robson, and Leon Dunn(Image: James Bovington)<\/p>\nRampage Boxing and Fitness is owned by Daniel ‘Rampage’ Robson, and is based on Medomsley Road in the County Durham town(L-R) AJ Patterson, Shaun Wales, Jayden Oliver, Joe Willetts, Daniel ‘Rampage’ Robson, and Leon Dunn(Image: James Bovington)<\/p>\n
A boxing<\/a> club in Consett<\/a> has been described as having a ‘priceless close-knit community’, by its members themselves. Based on Medomsley Road in the County Durham<\/a> town, Rampage Boxing and Fitness is owned by Daniel ‘Rampage’ Robson.<\/p>\n Writer James Bovington, who spends his time covering local combat sports in the north of England, went along to the boxing gym to find out more about the boxing gym and its members, and this is what they told him.<\/p>\n Visitors to the Greek island of Santorini marvel at the Akrotiri fresco showing two gloved teenage boxers boxing. Three thousand years on from this priceless artefact\u2019s creation Consett lad Jayden Oliver and his mates live for the sport as deeply embedded in northern culture as it was for the ancient Minoans.<\/p>\n The close-knit community the boys have built with Daniel \u2018Rampage\u2019 Robson at his Consett gym is itself priceless, and these are their words. “I\u2019ve won three title belts on two local promotions, Kush Boxing and OBC”, said Oliver, 17, who lives with his car mechanic father and factory worker mother.<\/p>\n “I\u2019ve become well-known as a fighter. I\u2019d struggled at school and never thought I\u2019d achieve. Now I have and I imagine a bright future as a professional boxer. It\u2019s a challenging ambition. My success is down to my commitment to intense daily training and the high-quality coaching here, and I love the exhilaration of fight night.<\/p>\n “It\u2019s about proving that I\u2019m tougher, harder even, than my opponent. I don\u2019t mind the pain from a well-placed shot. It\u2019s real. It\u2019s genuine. I\u2019m proud of just how very hard I can hit. I\u2019ll always take a well-matched bout. I\u2019m not scared of anyone. I appreciate the commission on fight ticket sales which is helping me build that all important fanbase”.<\/p>\n Footballer Leon Dunn came to boxing to improve fitness. “I\u2019m a boxer now”, said Dunn, 18. \u201cThis gym is an exciting place. Us lads have won twelve belts and got 30 wins in a short time. We\u2019re well respected and all want to be pro boxers. I\u2019ve won seven of nine bouts.<\/p>\n “The sport\u2019s great for making friends even with opponents. I fought Joe Randall a few years my senior. He won but I showed I\u2019m hard enough to take on a grown man. Joe\u2019s now a firm friend. You learn a lot with our coaches Dan and Shaun, but the main lesson is stay humble”.<\/p>\n Dunn lives locally with his parents and brother. \u201cMum and Dad were nervous about me getting hurt. That\u2019s part of it though. And hurting an opponent. We expect it. Learn from it. Now they know I\u2019m secure and well looked after and they\u2019re proud of what I\u2019ve achieved.<\/p>\n “Like Jayden I\u2019ll fight anyone and I\u2019m aiming to improve my ticket sales which average 30. A large fanbase is as much a requirement for professional boxing as fighting skill”.<\/p>\n \u201cThese lads have learnt quickly what this game\u2019s about,\u201d explained Daniel Robson. \u201cThey\u2019re totally dedicated to boxing and they\u2019re good at it. They love knowing they\u2019re up to the physical and mental challenge and see a future for themselves in the professional sport. They\u2019re constantly proving just how resilient and courageous teenage boys can be.<\/p>\n Robson, 40, had done some boxing when younger but a bout of depression while working away in Sheffield took him to bare knuckle boxing. \u201cIt\u2019s frequently the facial bloodbath everyone recognises but bare knuckle can be safer than longer gloved contests.<\/p>\n “I won on a promotion in Stoke and back in Consett I volunteered at another gym, learnt the ropes and then set up Rampage Boxing and Fitness just over a year ago. It\u2019s going very well. We\u2019ve got 40 members including the fight team all of whom have the highest level of commitment.<\/p>\n “We\u2019ve ten children under 16 training. The Sunday sparring class is top class. My twelve-year-old son Leo has thrown himself into boxing and boxing is bringing us closer together”.<\/p>\n Shaun Wales and Conor Burns coach with Robson. Both have a military background. \u201cWe\u2019re transferring skills from military life to civvy street to help these boys do well in the sport and improve their life chances,\u201d said Wales.<\/p>\n “You look after each other in the forces. That\u2019s paramount. We\u2019re about building a team spirit through physical training and discipline so that the boxers might thrive as a group while also learning self-reliance”.<\/p>\n Burns added that \u201cConsett\u2019s history is that of a hard-working town, yet many youngsters lack ambition and focus. They hang around and won\u2019t commit. This gym shows them what they too can achieve with Jayden, Leon, Joe, AJ and others being role models.\u201d<\/p>\n The aforementioned Joe is apprentice bricklayer Joe Willetts, a tall softly spoken young man who turned 18 last autumn and who\u2019s lived happily with foster parents for ten years. \u201cI\u2019d done some karate but looked at the boxing and thought I can do this. My ambition is also to box as a professional. I\u2019ve had five bouts and won three.<\/p>\n “I lost the first because I was too keen to hurt the opponent. I\u2019ve calmed down, relaxed even, so that I showcase skills. It\u2019s boxing not brawling although I can fight at close range and I always put on a performance which entertains and just maybe even makes people feel better about life”.<\/p>\n Willetts maintains that “all boxers feel nervous before a fight. It\u2019s not worry about getting hurt. We expect that. It\u2019s the shame of possibly disappointing. It takes courage but none of us is afraid. We\u2019re all hard lads, after all”, smiled Joe, “but we have our emotions too.<\/p>\n “We\u2019re happy at this gym. Settled as part of a bigger family and loyal to our mates. It\u2019s amazing how it\u2019s enhanced my life, how fortunate we are to be here”.<\/p>\n Sentiments shared by Junior Patterson, 21, who said: \u201cI absolutely love the people at this gym. I\u2019m naturally quiet, shy even, and have always been conscious I\u2019m a short person. Since my early teens I wanted to prove myself as a boxer and now I have. It\u2019s thanks to Shaun my coach that I\u2019ve come out of my shell. I\u2019m not frightened at taking on taller boxers.<\/p>\n “I just give it my best shot and enjoy the atmosphere at a show. It\u2019s like it\u2019s charged with electricity. But what\u2019s most important is I\u2019ve overcome my shyness. The boxing and the boxers made that possible. They\u2019re my brothers and family loyalty counts above all.\u201d<\/p>\n Carlo Macellaro started boxing at 29 and has won two of his three bouts with Robson plus two previous charity fights. \u201cThis gym is about Consett. Rooted in our community. We might not be the most skilful fighters but we\u2019re gritty. Knock us down and we get up. Like our town.<\/p>\n “We don\u2019t stop until the bell goes. Everyone is nervous anticipating being hit but the rewards outweigh any anxiety. You can\u2019t be half in half out with this sport which provides a focus especially for the younger fighters. There\u2019s simply nothing better we can be doing”.<\/p>\n Combat sports also help a person be honest about themselves. Jack Shaw, 21, states directly that \u201cboxing has kept me from doing bad things.\u201d Care centre support worker Shaw has won four of five fights, but his priority is coaching child boxers. I\u2019m planning for several bouts in 2026 but helping the children keeps me calm.<\/p>\n “There\u2019s five in a class aged 7 through 10 and they\u2019re all nice-natured. Two present quite specific challenges but the role is fulfilling. They\u2019re also learning how in this boxing community we\u2019re loyal to each other above all. We always look out for each other”.<\/p>\n Coach Wales is clear about the recipe for success. “We know the boxers. I mean really know them. They get love here. They feel they\u2019ve become something when they\u2019ve proved themselves in the ring. For us coaches it\u2019s the most rewarding and satisfying work possible”.<\/p>\n Daniel Robson wants to put on record his gratitude to the club\u2019s sponsors for 2025 including as main sponsor Ebony Daycare with the fight team supported by Aquarod, Bear Luxe Barbers, Charley\u2019s Caf\u00e9 and CMJ Cars.<\/p>\n Boxing\u2019s beautifully brutal ballet is working its ancient magic in Consett and the boxers are thriving. Those wanting further information about training or potentially able to offer sponsorship to individual boxers or the club contact Robson on Facebook and Instagram, or at rampageboxingandfitness@gmail.com.<\/p>\n Join our Breaking News and Top Stories WhatsApp community<\/a> for all the latest news direct to your phone.<\/p>\n To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device. 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(L-R) AJ Patterson, Jayden Oliver, and Leon Dunn of Rampage Boxing and Fitness in Consett, County Durham(Image: James Bovington)<\/p>\n![\"(L-R)](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0_JS391723293.jpg\")
(L-R) Leon Dunn, AJ Patterson, Joe Willetts, Jayden Oliver(Image: James Bovington)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/2_CHRONWHATSAPP4.jpg\")
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