Friday 22 February, York Hall
MTK London are building a healthy stable of fighters and evolving from their traditional hunting ground of Brentwood. Islington’s Freddie Kiwitt takes on tough Belfast lad Paddy Gallagher in the pick of the card for the vacant WBO European welterweight title. Both lads have had success in their respective areas, now they get a chance to shine and grab a place in the WBO top 15 rankings in the world.
Reason to watch: Both lads are heavy-handed fighters who go looking for stoppages. Expect a relentless fight that is unlikely to go the distance.
Saturday 23 February, O2 Arena
A year after losing a decision to George Groves, Chris Eubank Jr seeks to make amends against former Olympic Gold medalist James DeGale. There's little love lost between the pair – if the fight matches the hostility of the build-up, expect fireworks. Heavyweight contender – and Olympic silver medalist – Joe Joyce takes on former WBC champion Bermane Stiverne in the pick of the undercard bouts.
Reason to watch: This truly is a do-or-die fight for both headliners. DeGale has claimed he'll retired if defeated, while a loss would most likely destroy any chance of Eubank Jr ever making a mark on the world stage. Expect a tear-up in the last chance saloon.
Friday 8 March, Royal Albert Hall
A return to the Royal Albert Hall, once a prestigious venue for boxing but barely used for the sport since the late nineties. Frank Warren has put together a card that promises some ferocious action and a bit of something for everyone. Picks of the night include Welshman Liam Williams taking on ‘Smokin Joe’ Mullender. Mullender is a throwback fighter, as the name suggests, happy to maraud forwards and wear down opponents. Williams may be more technically adept, but can he handle the pressure?
Peckham’s Johnny Garton, another fighter who would have suited any era, makes the first defence of his British welterweight title against another Welshman, Chris Jenkins. Both are relentless in style and are prone to cutting, so expect the canvas to be a different shade come the final bell. Daniel Dubois looks to continue his early success, facing former world title challenger Razvan Cojanu, while golden girl Nicola Adams is aiming to add a world title to her two Olympic medals when she challenges for the WBO flyweight title.
Reason to watch: There is guaranteed action in the Wales vs England matchups, while Dubois carries heavy hands and Adams is a national icon. All with the added bonus of being at a venue that lives in boxing folklore.
Saturday 16 March, York Hall
Goodwin Boxing have revolutionised the idea of ‘small hall’ boxing in London. Large screens, big atmospheres and quality matches have given fans of the sport value for money at York Hall and so it continues of March 16th. Headlining is English light-welterweight chamption Sam O’Maison travelling from Sheffield to take on challenger Kay Prospere. On paper it is the power of Prospere vs the skills of O’Maison, but don’t be surprised if the roles reverse as the fight progresses. Also on the card, in a final eliminator for the English middleweight title, highly talented Linus Udofia takes on tough Darren Codona over ten round.
Another standout bout is light heavyweight Duane Sinclair versus Jordan Joseph. Sinclair is on an upward trajectory, helped by sharing a training camp with Olympic star Joshua Buatsi, but has been untested to date. Joseph has failed when he has stepped up, but with youth on his side, may see this as a shot at redemption. Don’t sleep on another fight on the undercard: unbeaten Tunji Ogguniya takes on battle hardened Justin Menzie. Ogguniya is always in fun fights, while Menzie is a human buzzsaw in the ring. Not always effective but guarantees excitement.
Reason to watch: The O’Maison versus Prospere fight will be fascinating as it plays out, while Linus Udofia truly is one of the stars ready to break out onto a bigger platform. York Hall is a great place to say you ‘saw them first’.
Saturday 23 March, Copperbox Arena
Charlie Edwards makes the first defence of his WBC flyweight title against Angel Moreno while he is supported by a stellar undercard. Not one of the ‘sexy’ weight in boxing, Edwards is looking for a big homecoming support as he defends the title won with a quality display back in 2018.
The undercard will be fun. Olympian Lawrence Okolie is hit and miss in terms of entertainment value, but in Wadi Camacho he has a dance partner that should see him open up his style more. Lewis Ritson has built a reputation as a knockout artist, but was exposed when the opponent was less willing to engage. Thankfully for him he is facing Andy Townend, a man who will be happy to trade shots and see who is left standing. The other fight to look out for is Joshua Buatsi contesting his first major title, the British light-heavyweight belt. His opponent, Liam Conroy, will happily take the change to stand and exchange power shots with potentially the brightest star of the last Olympic boxing cycle.
Reason to watch: Okolie versus Camacho, Ritson versus Townend and Buatsi versus Conroy are all nearly guaranteed explosive stoppages while you can expect Edwards to give out a masterclass to Moreno.
