Dan Azeez to challenge for vacant Southern Area light-heavyweight title
Purse bids have been called for Andre Sterling (10-0) vs Dan Azeez (7-0) with the contest ordered to take place by the end of August 2019.
Promoters and Matchmakers have been invited by the BBBofC to submit purse bids by Wednesday, 3rd April 2019 at the Grange City Hotel.
Sterling, 28 from New Cross, won the prestigious title in November last year with a narrow 96-94 points win over Kirk Garvey (11-1), who is now the English light-heavyweight champion.
The former Fitzroy Lodge amateur won a British title eliminator in his last bout with Ricky Summers (15-1) on the James DeGale vs Chris Eubank Jr undercard. Coupled with having a win over the current English champion, Garvey, who defends his crown to Dec Spelman in Scunthorpe on May 31, the talented Londoner has now vacated his Southern Area strap in favour of a final eliminator for the British belt, currently held by Joshua Buatsi.
Lewisham's Azeez, 29, is unbeaten in seven bouts but has only ever completed six-rounds once in his year-and-a-half-long career. The MTK-signed South London star initially had his sights set on Garvey, but will now be treating his next fight as the route to the English crown.
Azeez is a regular sparring partner to Lawrence Okolie and is scheduled to fight in his first eight-rounder on an MTK show at the York Hall on April 26.
He will now have to wait for further news from the British Boxing Board of Control for his mandatory challenger to be announced.
