THE push to raise a statue of a Newport boxing champion has made another leap towards its fundraising target.

The David 'Bomber' Pearce campaign which needs to raise £35,000 to erect a statue to the former British heavyweight champion, raised £1,800 at their latest fundraiser.

The event at Ringland Labour Club raised cash with a raffle and auction with framed shirts from Newport County, the Dragons and Newport RFC signed by the current players up for grabs.

Auctions of boxing gloves signed by South Wales boxers Lee Selby, the IBF world featherweight champion and his brother British flyweight champion Andrew and Mexican former world bantamweight champion Rubén Olivares also added to the proceeds of the evening.

The night also had music from Big Mac's Wholly Soul Band.

The campaign has now raised a total of £22,000, with £10,000 having already been paid to the sculptor with the remainder to be paid over the next five months.

Julie Ann Murphy of Ringland Labour Club who did much to organise the event said: "I am so pleased, this is a wonderful cause".

Member of the fundraising committee and nephew of David, Luke Pearce told of his delight at the progress made so far: "We are two thirds of the way there. An amazing effort so far, for a true Newport hero".

David held the British and Welsh Heavyweight crown in the early 1980s and the Pill man's fighting spirit made him one of Wales’ most respected boxers. David's former sparring partner, Andy Gerrard, who was at the event paid tribute to David saying: "his power was unique, he was a true pound for pound champion!"

Dubbed by many as ‘Newport’s own Rocky’ the ex-steelworker had his first professional fight in 1978. He followed this with a succession of wins before he defeated the three-time WBC World light heavyweight champion, Dennis Andries in 1981.

But the high-point was to come two years later at St David’s Hall in Cardiff in 1983 when David fought Swansea’s Neville Meade to become the Welsh and British Heavyweight champion - a title he never lost in the ring. Always proud of his home town, David said at the time: “I did it for Newport”.

He tragically died in 2000 when he was just 41-years-old and around 2,000 people lined Newport streets for his funeral.

The statue is being created by sculptor Laury Dizengremel, who also made the statue for another Gwent sporting legend, Olympic sprinter and rugby star, Ken Jones, which now stands in his home town of Blaenavon.