IF THIS season was a boxing match the referee would have stopped it a while ago but Newport County AFC are still fighting for survival.

They’ve picked themselves up off the canvas after suffering what looked to be a knockout blow at the hands of Leyton Orient on March 4.

And, a month on, the Exiles are still in with a chance of overhauling Hartlepool United or Cheltenham Town on points.

Caretaker boss Michael Flynn has given the team a new lease of life, winning 10 points from a possible 18 in his six matches in charge.

If he can repeat that haul in the remaining six games it might just be enough to pull off the greatest comeback since Rocky IV.

County did their bit to help honour the man dubbed ‘Newport’s own Rocky’ before Saturday’s win over Crawley Town.

David ‘Bomber’ Pearce was British heavyweight champion between 1983 and 1985 when he lived near Somerton Park.

Part of his training regime was to run around the track and join the players in the gym and when he won his Lonsdale belt he famously said: “This is for the people of Newport”.

South Wales Argus:

Pearce was forced to retire following a brain scan and went on to coach youngsters at Alway Amateur Boxing Club until his death aged just 41 in May 2000.

His nephew, Luke Pearce, has launched an appeal to raise £35,000 to erect a bronze statue in Newport city centre and County have thrown their weight behind the campaign. The club held a bucket collection at the match on Saturday and also donated a signed shirt to raise money.

You can support the campaign now online via the appeal’s justgiving page here.

Cheques payable to ‘The David Bomber statue fund’ can be sent to: Cwm Cottage, Cwm Lane, Rogerstone, Newport NP10 9GQ.

And to find out more about the campaign, Luke Pearce can be contacted at coolhandluke_28@hotmail.co.uk.

South Wales Argus: RETURN: Cefn Fforest fighter Robbie Turley, right

St Joseph’s boxer Robbie Turley (above) is unlikely to be honoured with a statue any time soon but he is gearing up for the biggest fight of his career this week.

Like Pearce three decades earlier, Turley is another boxer who fell foul of a routine brain scan.

The Cefn Fforest fighter was unable to compete between March 2012 and March 2014 after the British Boxing Board of Control in Cardiff withdrew his licence.

A microscopic amount of blood on a pineal cyst in Turley’s brain caused the Board to take action but neurosurgeons insisted there was no risk to his health.

Turley’s dad Chris estimates that he spent £6,000 in fighting his son’s case and the Board finally gave the green light for him to resume his career.

It’s taken the 30-year-old three years to get back to the level he was at back in 2011 and 2012.

Back then Turley beat Paul Economides for the Welsh super-bantamweight title and he took future world champion Carl Frampton the distance as he challenged for the vacant Celtic belt.

He went on to beat Gavin Reid in Cardiff to win the Celtic super-bantamweight title before his nightmare two year exile from the sport.

Since he returned to the ring there have been plenty of ups and downs for the St Joes stalwart but he has won four of his last five fights.

And last week it was announced that Turley’s patience was to be rewarded with the opportunity to challenge for the vacant Commonwealth super-bantamweight title.

He’ll take on Lincoln’s Bobby Jenkinson on the Sanigar Events ‘Acid Test’ show at the Newport Centre this Friday night.

"This is the opportunity of a lifetime for me,” said Turley after the fight was confirmed.

“Chris and Jamie Sanigar said that if I was patient the chance would come and it has, I can't thank them enough.

“Winning the Commonwealth title at home would be a dream come true and I will do everything I can to get the win."

The likeable Turley, who has a surprising side line in belting out tunes – even competing in the Voice of the Valleys talent contest, deserves this chance after all he’s been through in the past five years.

He’ll have his work cut out against former champion Jenkinson, who lost the title when he suffered a seventh-round knockout at the hands of rising star Gamal Yafai last year.

But Turley has home advantage and will be backed by his always passionate band of supporters.

And in Tony Borg he has a trainer who now has vast experience of creating champions and bringing belts back to the gym in Pill.

Here’s hoping he can follow in the footsteps of fellow Welsh boxers Bradley Pryce, Jamie Arthur and St Joes stablemate Lee Selby in strapping on the Commonwealth belt.