Jazza Dickens vs Kid Galahad purse bids all wrapped up
MTK Global have announced they have won the purse bid for the vacant IBF featherweight title fight between Jazza Dickens and Kid Galahad.
The bid was successfully won on Thursday, February 4, and sees British rivals Jazza Dickens (30-3, 11 KOs) and Kid Galahad (27-1, 16 KOs) collide for the IBF world featherweight title after Josh Warrington vacated it last month.
Bookies, such as https://www.financials2017.com/, already have once-beaten world title contender Kid Galahad as the firm favourite at 1/2, with Jazza Dickens the slight underdog at 6/4.
Dickens and Galahad have previously met, with the Sheffield slickster coming out on top when he won the vacant British super-bantamweight title back in September 2013.
Dickens told IFL TV: “Me and Galahad fought seven years ago and it was a big occasion at the time. It was my first British title fight and a big opportunity. We had both been nominated for 'Young Fighter of the Year' that year too, so there was a lot on the line.
“Whoever won goes forward with their career, and whoever lost had to rebuild. It was a good fight and there were no excuses why I lost, he was the better man on the night, but now I look forward to this potential rematch.
“When two football teams play each other seven years ago, it’s not the same teams that play seven years later, and that’s the same case here. He’s not playing the same team, and the momentum is with me.
“You still can’t deny that he’s a really good fighter, but fights like this is why I got into boxing. I want to be the best and now I’ve got this chance.”
Liverpool's Dickens, also a world title contender, has been in superb form over the past two years, with excellent victories over long-reigning British featherweight champion Ryan Walsh, Leigh Wood and Carlos Ramos seeing him win the Golden Contract tournament. He is currently unbeaten in his last eight fights, which includes four consecutive KOs against foreign fighters, followed by four points victories in championship fights – two IBF European, followed by two WBO European featherweight title clashes over 10 rounds.
Galahad’s last outing came in February 2020 where he stopped Claudio Marrero, while he also challenged for the IBF featherweight title against Warrington in 2019 and came agonisingly close to becoming a world champion.
Derry Mathews-trained Dickens' world title tilt came against Guillermo Rigondeaux in 2016 – the Cuban forced him to retire after round two, suffering a broken jaw.
It's an intruiging clash of styles and, although many would automatically favour Galahad, especially going into the contest one-up over Dickens, it's the underdog who is carrying the best momentum into this world championship clash. His fit, energetic style could see him take an early lead over the notoriously slow starter, Galahad.
Plus, his southpaw stance could also prove tricky for the Qatar-born Kid, real name Barry Awad. His alias, 'Kid Galahad', was chosen by trainer Brendan Ingle after a character played by Elvis Presley in the 1962 film of the same title. during 2014-2016, he was forced to serve a boxing ban due to doping offences. Although born in Doha, his nationality is Yemen, first coming to England aged four.
Galahad is ranked WBC #7, WBO #5, as well as holding the IBF top spot. Jazza Dickens is WBO #1, after winning the WBO European in his penultimate fight and defended it successfully in his last fight.
Former titleholder Josh Warrington vacated his IBF World Title after the International Boxing Federation refused to sanction his proposed unification fight with Xu Can in April.
The proposed fight was delayed with a new working date of April 24, but Matchroom Boxing will now look to finalise that fight or make a giant match up with WBC king Gary Russell Jr instead. Both the Can and Russell fights would be for the coveted Ring Magazine belt.
30-year-old Galahad and 29-year-old Dickens are the two top rated featherweights in the IBF rankings. The belt they are vying for was held by 'Leeds Warrior' Warrington for close to three years in total, with three successful defences within that time to Carl Frampton, Galahad, and Frenchman Sofiane Takoucht.
Previous owners of this IBF belt include Mexican legends Manuel Medina and Juan Manuel Marquez; the incredible Prince Naseem Hamed; the 'Yorkshire Hunter' Paul Ingle; and the talented, late Johnny Tapia.
News on a date and location for the fight between Dickens and Galahad will be announced in due course.