Derry defends Commonwealth belt with Liam Smith v Ochieng and Fielding, Smith and Stalker in action

Derry Mathews will defend his Commonwealth lightweight title against Curtis Woodhouse at the Liverpool Olympia on September 21, live on Sky Sports.

Merseyside favourite Mathews claimed the title with a stunning KO win over Tommy Coyle in Hull earlier this month, with Woodhouse securing a second stoppage win at the weight over Joe Elfidh on the same bill. The show will be in association with Coldwell Boxing, who promote both Mathews and Woodhouse.

Liam Smith and Erick Ochieng’s clash for the vacant British light middleweight title was originally scheduled to take place in Sheffield but a request has gone into the BBBoC today for the fight to be moved to Liverpool.

Rocky Fielding will defend his English super middleweight title, Callum Smith will use the show to press his claims for a first title shot after notching four first round wins in a row, as will Team GB Olympic captain Thomas Stalker who cruised to 5-0 with two first round stoppages in his last two fights while Robbie Davies Jr. returns to the scene of his debut triumph in June.

“This has all the feel of a real throwback fight night and what better city to hold it than Liverpool,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Mathews vs. Woodhouse is expected to be a brutal affair, and Smith vs. Ochieng is a real pick’em fight. Rocky’s fight with Tony is a cracking local derby and a real crossroads affair, and with young talent like Callum, Thomas and Robbie on the bill, it’s going to be an action packed night.

“I’m delighted to be working with Dave Coldwell on this show and bringing a great night of action to Merseyside.”

Information on ticket prices and on sale dates will be released soon.

American causes controversy at pre-fight press conference

Kell Brook has vowed to shut Carson Jones up for good after the American goaded him at the final press conference ahead of their rematch at the MS3 Craven Park in Hull on Saturday, live on Sky Sports 1HD in Betfair’s ‘The Homecoming’.

Jones goaded Brook in front of the media and fans in attendance at the New Theatre Hull, saying: “There's going to be a lot of sad faces at the end of the fight, you'll be one of them Eddie [Hearn, Brook's promoter] and a lot of disappointed fans,” before reciting controversial lines used by Ivan Drago from theRocky IV movie.

Brook and Jones met in Sheffield a year ago and gave The Special One a real scare, breaking his nose in the eighth round and making the 27 year old hang on to secure a majority decision win after he’d dominated the opening half of the fight.

The unbeaten Sheffield star has promised his fans that there will be no repeat of the problems he had 12 months ago, and after Jones’ words in today’s press conference, the IBF number one is in the mood to unleash his very best on the Oklahoma danger man.

“I’m even more fired up to get rid of him now,” said Brook. “He’s very cocky for someone who’s never beaten anyone of note, and this time I’ll knock him out and send him home for good – he won’t want to come back after Saturday night.

“The first fight has been bugging me ever since I got back in the dressing room afterwards. He was at 100 per cent for that fight and put in the best performance of his career. I was nowhere near full throttle but I am as close to the best Kell Brook I’ve ever been and he’ll be out of my life for good on Saturday night.

“I could have had an easier opponent but the last fight was an exciting, mouth-watering fight and I think the fans deserve it. It is going to be a tough fight and I am training hard for it but I am going to go out there and have fun and take care of business.

“It will test me but I am willing to take it on and I am excited, so I will go in there and show what I have learnt from last year's fight. You will see a different animal in there.

“Last time I did the weight all wrong. I have a new team on board now, a nutritionist, a strength and conditioner, and I am going to make sure I put things right tonight. The first four, five or six rounds you saw last time you will see all the way through tonight. I am making a statement, I want to get rid of Carson Jones and I will get rid of him inside the distance.

“It is going to be a great night, there will be fireworks and I am very excited to get back in and I can’t wait to take my frustrations out on Carson Jones.”

Brook and Jones are part of a stellar line-up in Humberside, as hometown favourite and Olympic Gold medal hero Luke Campbell MBE makes his pro debut against Andy Harris.

Welsh featherweight star Lee Selby takes on Romanian Viorel Simion and there’s a tasty battle for the vacant Commonwealth lightweight title between Hull’s Tommy Coyle and Liverpool’s Derry Mathews.

Campbell’s fellow Olympic medallist Anthony Ogogo boxes for the third time in the pro ranks and is joined on the undercard by Liverpool’s Rocky Fielding, Sheffield’s Curtis Woodhouse, Islington’s John Ryder and young Hull talents Joel Haigh and Zak Collins.

Tickets for Betfair’s ‘The Homecoming’ are on sale now priced £25, £40, £60 and £100 from www.hullkr.co.uk – VIP packages priced £150 are available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing at www.matchroomboxing.com and on 01277 359900.

American vows to go one better in Saturday’s welterweight grudge rematch

Carson Jones gave Kell Brook the scare of his life the last time they met – and the American has warned Brook that on Saturday night at the MS3 Craven Park in Hull, live on Sky Sports HD1 in Betfair’s ‘The Homecoming’.

The welterweights clashed in Brook’s hometown of Sheffield a year ago and the Steel City star was on top in the first half of their battle. But as Brook began to run out of steam, the Oklahoma visitor stepped on The Special One, broke his nose in the eighth round and forced him to dig deeper than ever before to take the majority decision.

The careers of both men have stuttered somewhat since due to injury, so Jones believes both men are back to where they were for the first fight and this time, he intends to put Brook away.

“I had Kell in all kinds of problems in Sheffield but he got away with it,” said Jones. “I took four or five rounds to get started, but as soon as I did it was popping. This time I’ll be on him from the start and there will be no escape route for him this time – I want that World title shot just as much as he does.

“Everybody keeps making excuses saying that he had stamina problems – he didn't have stamina problems, he had a Carson Jones problem. I was pressing him, hitting him with clean shots, I broke his nose in the eighth round and from then on it was pretty much my fight.

“I don’t have a problem coming over here. I’ve been to his hometown before, and I’ve been to other people’s backyards and taken home the victory. When it comes down to it, it’s just me and him fighting whether it’s his hometown or mine, it’s not going to change the outcome.

“He’s never had anybody up in his face before, and he really didn’t know how to react to it. He looked a little scared to me.”

Brook and Jones are part of a stellar line-up in Humberside, as hometown favourite and Olympic Gold medal hero Luke Campbell MBE makes his pro debut against Andy Harris.

Welsh featherweight star Lee Selby takes on Romanian Viorel Simion and there’s a tasty battle for the vacant Commonwealth lightweight title between Hull’s Tommy Coyle and Liverpool’s Derry Mathews.

Campbell’s fellow Olympic medallist Anthony Ogogo boxes for the third time in the pro ranks and is joined on the undercard by Liverpool’s Rocky Fielding, Sheffield’s Curtis Woodhouse, Islington’s John Ryder and young Hull talents Joel Haigh and Zak Collins.

Tickets for Betfair’s ‘The Homecoming’ are on sale now priced £25, £40, £60 and £100 from www.hullkr.co.uk – VIP packages priced £150 are available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing at www.matchroomboxing.com and on 01277 359900.

Photography by Lawrence Lustig.

Olympian ready to take first pro steps on Saturday night

Luke Campbell MBE says his pro debut on Saturday night is just the first step on the road to becoming a World champion.

Campbell makes his pro bow against Andy Harris, live on Sky Sports HD1 from the MS3 Craven Park in Campbell’s hometown of Hull, and the Olympic Gold medallist says he was more worried about falling over on the ice on TV than facing the music in the pros for the first time.

“I’m not nervous at all, just incredibly excited,” said Campbell. “I had nerves before the Olympics and even before Dancing on Ice, but I'm not nervous about my debut, I'm just really looking forward to it. I've trained incredibly hard for it and I plan to put on a great show to excite the fans so they come back again.

“The best boxers in the World have to make their debuts and that was just their first step on the road to World title success – and ultimately that’s my goal.

“It's a new leaf and I'm so excited about it. I had a good rest after the Olympics and I've got the buzz well and truly back for boxing, fresh mind and a fresh body with new goals to reach. Eddie's the man and as far as the rest of the year and the future, I'll look after myself in training and I know he'll pick the right path for me. I would like to be really busy and box as much as possible as that's where you learn the quickest in the pros. I was always busy in the amateurs and it suited me, so that’s what I want in the pros.

“I know Andy will come to Hull looking to spoil the party and I’ve heard from Thomas Stalker and Martin J. Ward that he’s a tough lad, so it will be a good test on my first night in the pros.”

The 24 year old has certainly enjoyed the best and most varied sparring possible for his introduction to the paid ranks, with a trip to New York’s famous Gleason’s Gym and then a week in Essex at Tony Sims’ gym with the likes of Kevin Mitchell, Martin J. Ward and Ryan Taylor.

“New York was brilliant,” said Campbell. “You've got to take yourself out of your comfort-zone and it's a pretty hostile environment over there, you’ve got 20 or 30 Americans screaming at you, baying for blood when you are sparring one of their boys, so it was a great experience, and important to get rounds in with some experienced pros.

“Kevin Mitchell is a great guy as well as a great fighter, and Ryan Taylor was getting ready for Prizefighter and he's a tough, hard-hitting light welterweight so Essex was as good a learning curve as New York.”

Campbell’s debut tops a brilliant bill in Humberside with unbeaten Sheffield star Kell Brook facing dangerous American Carson Jones in a welterweight rematch, Welsh featherweight star Lee Selby taking on Romanian Viorel Simion and a tasty battle for the vacant Commonwealth lightweight title between Hull’s Tommy Coyle and Liverpool’s Derry Mathews.

Campbell’s fellow Olympic medallist Anthony Ogogo boxes for the third time in the pro ranks and is joined on the undercard by Liverpool’s Rocky Fielding, Sheffield’s Curtis Woodhouse, Islington’s John Ryder and young Hull talents Joel Haigh and Zak Collins.

Tickets for Betfair’s ‘The Homecoming’ are on sale now priced £25, £40, £60 and £100 from www.hullkr.co.uk – VIP packages priced £150 are available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing at www.matchroomboxing.com and on 01277 359900.

 

Liverpool star closing in on WBC light heavyweight World title shot

The WBC have set a purse bid date of July 26 for Tony Bellew to challenge Adonis Stevenson for the light heavyweight World title.

Bellew claimed the mandatory challenger position by defeating Isaac Chilemba in a final eliminator at the O2 Arena on May 25, while Stevenson stunned former champ Chad Dawson with a first round KO to win the belt in his native Canada on June 8.

Welshman topped to claim Light Welterweights III crown

Chris Jenkins is the 3-1 favourite on Betfair to take the spoils in tomorrow night’s sold-out Betfair Prizefighter Light Welterweights III, live on Sky Sports from the sold out York Hall in Bethnal Green.

The unbeaten Welshman (7-0 4 KOs) takes on Tony Owen in the fourth quarter final, and the 24 year old is promising fireworks tomorrow night.

“I will approach it as I always do – rock and roll style!” said Jenkins. “I have a game plan, we have done my work in the gym.

“I have watched Prizefighter previously and you need a high work-rate, which is what I have got. But if you have to but a bomb out to catch them and the knockout comes then the knockout comes, but I will be looking to win the rounds.”

Southern Area champion Connor and unbeaten 21 year old Rice will battle for a spot in the first semi-final where they will face either Ryan ‘Crash Bang’ Taylor and Matty Tew, who clash in the second quarter final.

Taylor’s first loss as a pro came against Liam Shinkwin when they met for the vacant Southern Area lightweight title in March, and they could meet in the final after Shinkwin was drawn in the third quarter final against Eren Arif.

The 31st edition of the Betfair Prizefighter series is part of a great night of action in east London as lightweight star Kevin Mitchell returns to the ring from a ten month absence following his World title challenge against Ricky Burns in September, with the action kicked off on the night action by former Commonwealth welterweight champion John O’Donnell in a four-rounder.

WEIGHTS FROM TODAY’S WEIGH-IN AT MATCHROOM SPORT, ESSEX

Quarter Final 1 Danny Connor 10st 1lb v Charlie Rice 9st 13lbs

Quarter Final 2 Ryan Taylor 10st 1lb v Matty Tew 9st 13lbs

Quarter Final 3 Liam Shinkwin 10st 1lb 13oz v Eren Arif 9st 13oz

Quarter Final 4 Tony Owen 9st 13lbs v Chris Jenkins 9st 13lbs 15oz

Kevin Mitchell 10st v Sebastien Benito 9st 13lbs

John O’Donnell 10st 13lbs v Jay Morris 11st 1lb

Andy Harris delighted to be first pro to fight Olympic hero

Andy Harris will be Luke Campbell’s first pro opponent when he makes his debut in Betfair’s ‘The Homecoming’ on July 13 at the MS3 Craven Park, live on Sky Sports.

The Gloucester man beat Joe Beeden in Birmingham last Saturday (June 29) to go into the huge night in Humberside with confidence and is delighted to be the first to test the Hull stars pro credentials – promising to give Campbell a proper test in front of a huge hometown crowd.

“I'm absolutely buzzing about facing Luke,” said Harris. “I can't believe I've landed such a high profile fight. I'm not going out there to tuck up and take the money. I'll give it a real go.

“He's absolute quality and class. It will be an absolute honour to share the ring with him.”

The 30 year old takes plenty of encouragement from taking Team GB Olympic captain Thomas Stalker to points at the Echo Arena in Liverpool in March, and after experiencing an even bigger night when he boxed on the undercard of Carl Froch’s epic win over Mikkel Kessler at the O2 Arena in May, Harris won’t be perturbed by the big occasion.

“Lots of well-respected fighters and trainers said that I boxed well against Stalker three fights ago,” said Harris. “I was up against a top fighter and a massive crowd but I gave him a run for his money.”

Campbell’s debut against Harris is part of a stellar line-up in Hull, with unbeaten Sheffield star Kell Brook facing dangerous American Carson Jones in a welterweight rematch, Welsh featherweight star Lee Selby taking on Romanian Viorel Simion and a tasty battle for the vacant Commonwealth lightweight title between Hull’s Tommy Coyle and Liverpool’s Derry Mathews.

Campbell’s fellow Olympic medallist Anthony Ogogo boxes for the fourth time in the pro ranks and is joined on the undercard by Liverpool’s Rocky Fielding, Sheffield’s Curtis Woodhouse, Islington’s John Ryder and young Hull talents Joel Haigh and Zak Collins.

Tickets for Betfair’s ‘The Homecoming’ are on sale now priced £25, £40, £60 and £100 from www.hullkr.co.uk – VIP packages priced £150 are available exclusively from Matchroom Boxing at www.matchroomboxing.com and on 01277 359900.

Photography by Lawrence Lustig.

Taylor and Shinkwin could clash in York Hall final

The draw for the Betfair Prizefighter Light Welterweights III sees Danny Connor and Charlie Rice kick-off Saturday night’s action at the sold-out York Hall in Bethnal Green, live on Sky Sports 1HD from 8pm.

Southern Area champion Connor and unbeaten 21 year old Rice will battle for a spot in the first semi-final where they will face either Ryan ‘Crash Bang’ Taylor and Matty Tew, who clash in the second quarter final.

Taylor’s first loss as a pro came against Liam Shinkwin when they met for the vacant Southern Area lightweight title in March, and they could meet in the final after Shinkwin was drawn in the third quarter final against Eren Arif. The winner of that fight will face either Tony Owen or Chris Jenkins, who complete the line-up in quarter final number four.

The 31st edition of the Betfair Prizefighter series is part of a great night of action in east London as lightweight star Kevin Mitchell returns to the ring from a ten month absence following his World title challenge against Ricky Burns in September, with the action kicked off on the night action by former Commonwealth welterweight champion John O’Donnell in a four-rounder.

BETFAIR PRIZEFIGHTER LIGHT WELTERWEIGHTS III DRAW

Quarter Final 1 Danny Connor v Charlie Rice

Quarter Final 2 Ryan Taylor v Matty Tew

Quarter Final 3 Liam Shinkwin v Eren Arif

Quarter Final 4 Tony Owen v Chris Jenkins

Southern Area champ eyes autumn British title shot

Danny Connor believes victory in Saturday night’s sold-out Betfair Prizefighter Light Welterweights III will make him the British ‘Cinderella Man’ after turning his career around.

The Surrey fighter failed to win any of his first five fights and was 5-5-1 when he edged out Tyler Goodjohn for the British Masters Welterweight title in May 2012, and followed that with two impressive wins over Chris Evangelou for the Southern Area belt in September.

The draw will be shown on Ringside tonight at 6pm on Sky Sports 1 HD and Connor is certain to be one of the favourites, and the 27 year old says Saturday night could be the latest forward step in his rapid rise.

“If I win this – or when I win this because I am confident of winning – who knows, I could get a British title shot out of it and I would be the British ‘Cinderella Man’,” said Connor.

“It’d be great to have Prizefighter champion on my CV. The money is great as well; £32,000 is a lot of money to put towards anyone's career. But doing well in Prizefighter can shoot you right up the rankings, it gets your name out there again and it is massive, massive exposure on Sky Sports.”

The first of his two bouts with Evangelou was a 98-94 success at Alexandra Palace in September and was disputed by Evangelou's team. The pair met again at Wembley in March, where Connor won 97-93 and twice had his rival down in the seventh round – finally putting the rivalry to bed.

“I thought I won both fights against Chris,” he said. “I thought I did more work and better work in the first one but to be fair if it had gone the other way I wouldn't have complained. But I got the decision and Chris had a scream up about it so I gave him the rematch and beat him the second time.

“It was nice to put that to bed, get it out of the way and hopefully move forward with my career now.

A student of the game, not much gets passed Connor and the popular Southern Area champion hopes that knowledge will play off on Saturday.

“I know everything about everyone who is in this Prizefighter," he said. "I love boxing and everything to do with boxing. I am always going to shows, watching fights on TV and reading up about my opponents, so it is a massive plus.

“I know Tony Owen really well, he is a busy southpaw and I have known him since we were kids. Charlie Rice is a pressure fighter who comes forward, Eren Arif is pretty much the same, Ryan Taylor is a big right-hand puncher, Chris Jenkins was a good amateur and is busy, a bit of a body puncher from what I have seen of him and Matty Tew likes to box but also likes to come forward and finish a fight as well.

“In terms of style I think Tony Owen will be a big threat. He is a bit of an underdog and people don't realise how good he is. He is really nippy, he can fight, he is quick; he has it all going for him. If I wasn't to win it – and I am confident I am going to win it – I would say Tony or Eren are the two I could see causing some upsets.”

The 31st edition of the Betfair Prizefighter series is part of a great night of action in east London as lightweight star Kevin Mitchell returns to the ring from a ten month absence following his World title challenge against Ricky Burns in September, with the action kicked off on the night action by former Commonwealth welterweight champion John O’Donnell in a four-rounder.