Unbeaten heavyweights Dave Jones and Daniel Dubois to clash in Southern Area championship contest
Unbeaten Dave Jones (8-0-1) has landed a shot at Daniel Dubois’ (6-0) Southern Area heavyweight title on February 10 at the Copper Box Arena, live on BT Sport.
The Kent puncher, signed to JE Promotions, was due to face Central Area heavyweight title contender David Howe (14-6) on February 24th at Mote Hall in Maidstone on a home show, but withdrew as soon as the championship opportunity came up.
The 36-year-old former army boxer from Queenborough commented on his next fight, “I’m not stupid and I know the task in hand is very hard, and I’m a massive underdog, but I’ve got absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain.
“I will go out there and give it everything I’ve got, I’m not going there just to pick the money up, I’m going there to win.”
Get to Know…Dave Jones
His forthcoming opponent, heavyweight sensation Daniel Dubois, is the current Southern Area titleholder, signed to Frank Warren.
The 20-year-old from Greenwich has stormed through his first six opponents since his debut in April last year, knocking out all victims within five minutes.
‘Dynamite’ landed the Southern Area strap in his fifth fight last September at the Copper Box in Stratford, the same setting for his last four fights, with a first-round KO of AJ Carter.
The oldest title in British boxing was the South Londoner’s second accolade in the paid ranks; the first was the WBC Youth World heavyweight belt.
The 6ft 5in powerhouse is widely expected to produce the same outcome from his previous fights against Jones on the 55th day of 2018.
Manager Joe Elfidh worked hard to secure a career-best payday for his heavyweight charge, who trains with Ray Askew at his Isle of Sheppey-based Invicta Gym.
The Medway man has silverware of his on in the form of the International Challenge heavyweight belt that he claimed when he outpointed Czechoslovakian Jiri Svacina in June 2016.
His previous bout in October last year at his regular haunt, Mote Hall, was an all-out war with Welshman Dorian Darch, which ended in a stalemate.
Jones was stunned by the 33-year-old from Aberdare when he was knocked down in the second-round, but he rallied back to salvage a draw in their six-round tear-up.
Two months later, Darch stepped into the ring with Dubois at the Copper Box Arena, but was blasted out in just four minutes, hitting the deck four times in the process.
Jones will hope that he can do better, but, as he said in his own words, it’ll be ‘hard task’ against the top-10 ranked British heavyweight.
The Untouchables
British Welterweight Champion Bradley ‘Super’ Skeete (27-1, 12 KO’s) faces IBF Inter-Continental Welterweight Champion Laszlo Toth (25-3-1, 17 KO’s) for the vacant WBC International belt.
Skeete is ready to prove his World class credentials and knows that a win on February 10 will take him a step closer to a dream World Title shot.
Ilford Light-Heavyweight Anthony Yarde (14-0, 13 KO’s) defends his WBO Inter-Continental and European Light-Heavyweight titles against Frenchman Tony Averlant (26-9-2, 5 KO’s).
‘The Beast’ is determined to pick up from where he left off in 2017 after becoming the first man to stop Nikola Sjekloca with a heavy-handed display which lasted less than four rounds.
English Super-Featherweight Champion Zelfa ‘Brown Flash’ Barrett (19-0, 12 KO’s) fights for the first time in the capital when he takes on Spain’s Ivan Ruiz Morote (18-8-1, 7 KO’s) over ten rounds. Manchester’s Barrett is closing in on a salivating showdown with rival Super-Featherweight star Lyon Woodstock.
The undercard features hard-hitting Southampton Super-Welterweight Joe Pigford as he returns to the ring after a brutal KO win over Aaron Morgan in May 2017; all-action Welling Super-Featherweight talent Archie ‘Sharpshooter’ Sharp aims to improve his unbeaten record to 12-0; gifted Southampton Featherweight Ryan ‘The Piranha’ Garner looks to get his career back on track when he fights over four rounds; Ilford Welterweight Hamzah Sheeraz returns to the scene of his impressive TKO debut win over Duane Green; stylish Ilford Super-Middleweight Umar Sadiq and former Team GB Flyweight Harvey Horn both look to go 2-0 while Beckton Lightweight and Anthony Yarde gym mate Mohammed Bilal Ali makes his professional debut.
Tickets priced at £50 (Lower Tier), £70 (Floor), £100 (Floor), £150 (Floor) and VIP/Hospitality £250 are available via See Tickets, Eventim and Ticketmaster.
See Tickets
0871 230 7148
www.seetickets.com
Eventim
0844 249 1000
www.eventim.co.uk
Ticketmaster
www.ticketmaster.co.uk