IT might seem strange to have a sentimental attachment to a concrete parking lot but fight fans will share a wistful moment this month when Fight Night bows out of Number One Shed.

While the event will surely live on it will be the last at the Front Street venue, due to be knocked down this year, which has been the perfect setting for many a full-blooded bout.

Fight Night organiser Nir Sadeh said: "It's a parking lot that's been around forever ¿ it converts into an arena for one night and has that gritty and seedy feel to it. It's great for boxing. We have been in school gyms which tend to be kind of sterile and don't really get that same feeling to the boxers and the crowd. So the shed has been very good to us and the location on Front Street is invaluable."

Once again it's an all amateur card ¿ but this time around half of the fights will feature Canadian opponents. Other than that it's a standard Fight Night set up ¿ featuring everyone from first-time amateurs swapping their daytime suit and ties for gloves to experienced amateurs wanting to take it to the next level and compete internationally.

Up to six fighters from Sadeh's native Toronto are flying in to take on Bermuda's best amateurs on February 16 because of a shortage of challenging fights locally.

"You find boxers who have been in the ring a few times look for a new challenge so we thought it was useful to get some outside boxers to help them develop." The bouts have been carefully picked using coaches who have brought down boxers in the past, said Sadeh.

Asked about the top locals, Sadeh said: "Mark Dunlop has been around for about four of five bouts and has got pretty good. I like Mark Ingram ¿ he's come along.

"Tom Healy who is a Renegades rugby guy is pretty good. There's a couple of colourful guys ¿ Chuck (Matchstick) Morgan is flying in T-shirts for all his supporters and will be taking a whole contingent ¿ a whole bleacher full. He is taking it very seriously. He is fighting Maxime Desrochers. Dunlop is pitched against Ben Sylvester ¿ a 180-pound boxer with a 2-0 record."

Sadeh added: "He seems pretty handy. The thing with these guys is you want to make sure you are matching experience properly. Everyone has a full-time job and they box on the side. Toronto has a mix and I want to make sure I wasn't putting them against full-time boxers ¿ even though you can be 0-0 a lot of these people spar against very good boxers. You can get in the ring with no official bouts under your belt but still be a pretty good caliber."

Dunlop told the Mid-Ocean News that fighting a Canadian opponent could boost his support. "The last two Fight Nights I've taken part in have been against a rugby player from Renegades and therefore they obviously carried a big support. This time I am representing Bermuda and hopefully I will have the full support of the crowd.

"I will miss the Shed Fight Nights and I am sure everyone who attends them will too. It is one of the best nights of the year. I had never been in a ring before my first bout at the Shed and the crowd and atmosphere were awesome. The buzz from the whole night was one of the reasons that I decided to keep the training going and although I have battled on the beach in St. David's and boxed in the Southampton Princess in front of people in tuxedos and evening gowns, those nights do not compare to the crowd in the Shed. I am glad I will be part of the final show that Teachers Rugby Club will put on at the Shed."

Dunlop knows little about his opponent but calculates he must be at a decent standard to travel this far for a fight. "There are a lot of unknowns when you fight a guy from overseas. How tall is he? Has he got a better stretch than me? How long has he been boxing? You don't learn any of these things 'til you are in the ring with him and therefore you have to be prepared for anything."

Dunlop is now struggling to get his weight down to fight his lighter opponent but he is quietly confident with a 4-1 record including winning two Fight Nights and on the Battle on the Beach on the under-card to a Terreza Perrozi title defence. His one loss was on points to a London Policeman.

"The standard was a great deal higher than that of fighting a fellow accountant at Fight Night and I learned a great deal from it." The experience helped him beat another experienced overseas fighter from New York last October.

Certainly Dunlop is putting everything into it, avoiding sex before the fight on strict orders of the coach. "Valantine's Day is on the Thursday, my anniversary with my fiancee is on the Friday ¿ but I will have to steer clear. I better win!"

l Tickets are priced $45 for the typically sell-out Fight Night event and are available from Sports R Us, International Sports Shop, Arcade Barber Shop and Docksiders. They are on sale now.