Jones Jr. vs Marsden confirmed
Warren Boxing Management announced on June 3 that Boy Jones Jr. (18-3-1, 8KOs) will clash with Connor Marsden (4-1) for the vacant Southern Area lightweight title on July 24 at Lee Valley Athletic Centre.
The championship contest will be streamed live on Fighzone TV on a Mo Prior promoted event in Edmonton, London.
Chinford's Jones stands at six-foot-tall and is a former Southern Area super-featherweight titlist, which he conceded in his first defence to Craig Poxton in 2017. A torrid 10th round saw him hit the deck twice and stopped just 30 seconds from the end. It was his first defeat in 13 bouts, but he bounced back brilliantly with a seven-fight winning streak, but when he met a winning fighter again, his run was ended, as Welshman Craig Evans outpointed Jones widely over 10 rounds for the vacant WBO European lightweight title.
In his next fight, he narrowly lost on a majority decision to 8-0 Shaun Cooper for the WBO Youth lightweight strap in May 2019, which was his last appearance in a ring, over two years ago.
Chelsea's Connor Marsden has had an interesting career already, just five fights in. On his pro debut in December 2018, he dived straight into a six-round contest with three-weight Southern Area titlist Jamie Speight and stopped the 48-fight veteran within two minutes.
He then continued to demonstrate his strength in his second fight six months later by dropping South American Lester Cantillano and winning the contest 60-53 on points. In just his third contest, he stepped up to eight rounds to defeat two-time Southern Area title contender David Birmingham 80-71 on points, once more scoring a knockdown in the third round.
However, Welshman Craig Woodruff soon brough his bright start to grinding halt 11 months on from his pro debut with a third-round stoppage. The Welsh Area lightweight champion had Marsden down prior to the stoppage, just before referee Lee Cook waved off the fight 12 seconds before the end of round three.
Wasting no time at all, 26-year-old Marsden bounced back with a 59-56 points win over Stu 'Little Canelo' Greener in February 2020, but has since been out of the ring for 19 months.
Both boxers have been inactive so it makes for a level playing field. Jones has 22 bouts and 116 rounds under his belt, and has also been involved in four title fights. That gives him the edge in experience but Marsden has already proven that he can step up and rise to the challenge in front of him. Despite scoring only one knockout, he dropped his first three opponents so will be a danger throughout.
Warren Boxing Management labelled this contest as a 'Barnstormer of a fight' and they're not wrong.
Undercard
Reigning Southern Area cruiserweight champion Iain Martell (10-0, 4KOs) is back in the ring less than two months on from his last fight on May 21, when he defeated durable Elvis Dube via TKO2. The London-born 'Badman', 30 from Norfolk, is up against Irish title contender Steve Collins Jr. (14-4-1, 4KOs) in a cruiserweight contest.
Former Southern Area cruiserweight champion, preceding Martell, Nick Parpa (9-1, 5KOs) is back in action for the first time in two years. The 'Nightmare' from Palmers Green, London, won the Area title in his last fight with Daniel Mendes in July 2019.
Middleweight Billy Underwood (4-0), 24 from Camden; Leytonstone lightweight Daniel Khan (10-0, 1KO); Cypriat-Brit Ibrahim 'Ibz' Mercan (1-0), a crusierweight from Lewisham; and Colchester's 'Sweet T' Tommy Jacobs (1-0) are all in action on the card.
Debutants Kerim Agius, from Dagenham; and Louise Orton, from Chatham, are both making their pro bow on the night, which is the same day in history that Arturo Gatti KO'd Leonard Dorin in two rounds to retain his WBC super-lightweight title, which he later lost in his third defence to a 33-0 Floyd Mayweather Jr.
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