Ball, Cain and Strand set for BT Sport entrance
Unbeaten featherweights Nick Ball (12-0, 6KOs), Andrew Cain (5-0, 5KOs), and Brad Strand (3-0, 1KO) have all had their next fights confirmed on Friday, July 31, live on BT Sport in their Stratford-based studios.
All three will get the chance to showcase their skills on the third show of five scheduled Queensberry Boxing events over the summer, as champion Lyndon Arthur (16-0, 12KOs) and challenger Dec Spelman (16-3, 8KOs) headline in a Commonwealth light-heavyweight title clash.
The talented trio, undefeated in 20 bouts between them, all train out of the century-old Everton Red Triangle Gym in Liverpool under the watchful eye of respected trainer, Paul Stevenson.
Super-featherweight Brad Strand, 23-years-old, has been boxing since the young age of nine and was a Schoolboys Juniors and Seniors champion, as well as winning three gold medals in the Three Nations, the Haringey Box Cup, and was ABA Elites champion in 2018. He finished his amateur career with a record of 55 wins and 15 defeats.
A huge fan of Thomas Hearns, Strand is a 5ft 7in-tall, all-rounder, who likes boxing at range. He said of his forthcoming opportunity, “I’m over the moon to be fighting on a Frank Warren show, live on BT Sport. It’s a great opportunity for me to show what I can do.”
Fearsome featherweight, Andrew Cain, also 23, has knocked out all of his opponents so far. Three of his foes were dispatched in just the second round, one making it as far as the third, and his last opponent was felled in the first.
His professional debut was televised on BoxNation TV, so this will be the second time in his career performing in front of the cameras.
Starting boxing at the age of 11, Cain became a five-time national amateur champion. He has a very unique style that makes him evasive and awkward to opponents, and it’s no surprise from his strength, aggression and power that ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson is his inspiration.
He enthused, “Just itching to get in there, to be honest. Looking forward to showing what I’m about.”
Super-featherweight Nick Ball has also already fought on a Frank Warren show when he stopped Johnson Tellez (10-49-5) last November at an annual charity event at the Hilton Hotel in Mayfair, with Tyson Fury watching from ringside.
The ‘Wrecking Ball’ has stopped six of his last seven opponents, all within the space of a year-and-a-half.
The 23-year-old began boxing as young as six and was crowned a CYPs champion, Junior ABAs champion, Tri-Nations gold medalist, as well as being an England representative, winning 23 from 25 bouts.
Similarly to his teammate Cain, Ball is an all-action, hard-hitting, aggressive fighter, who wants nothing more than to hurt and halt his ring rivals.
He was pleased to discover the news of his next fight being announced, “It means a lot to be fighting on BT Sport because that’s where I belong. I’ve got a great opportunity to show everyone what I’m about, thanks to Frank Warren.”
The threesome all signed contracts with Frank Warren earlier this year and are now back in the talent-laden gym, which boasts seven unbeaten pros, as they prepare for their July 31st fight date.
Head coach Stevenson said, “Training has been brilliant, but a bit unusual working around the distancing guidelines. We’re all very excited to be back in action, but we’ve been ultra careful too.
“Every boxer is temperature gunned each day before we start work then it’s all business. We’ve been very lucky to have all three fighters around a similar weight, so they’ve had brilliant sparring.
“Having a much quieter gym than normal has allowed us all to focus on different things which you’ll see on fight night.”
The five-fight card will also see Belfast boxer Caoimhin Agyarko (6-0, 3KO’s), as he returns to middleweight action in a 10-round contest. Known as ‘Black Thunder’, the Irishman had over 130 fights as an amateur, 40 of those representing Ireland, only losing 11 times.
Promoter Frank Warren commented on the bumper summer schedule, “Everyone at Queensberry and BT have worked hard to get these shows up and running and I believe this schedule is second-to-none in the boxing world right now.
“This run of shows is a fantastic opportunity for all these talents to step up and make a mark. The eyes of the world are on boxing as it comes out of Lockdown and my challenge to all of these is to take this huge opportunity!”
To follow Everton Red Triangle on Facebook, click here Everton Red Triangle FB Page
HÖRFA are proud sponsors of British Boxing News