Four-man knockout tournament headlines #TuesdayNightFightNight card stacked with former champions and future prospects
Britain’s fastest-growing professional boxing promotion, today confirmed the full card for its #TuesdayNightFightNightUltimate Boxxer 7 event taking place Tuesday, November 10 at the BT Sport Studios in Stratford, London.
Presented in association with William Hill and Lucozade, the event will be available to over 90% of households in the UK thanks to a landmark live simulcast agreement between BT Sport and ITV 4, with both broadcasters airing the three-hour show live from 8pm.
The event's centrepiece is a one-night, winner-takes-all knockout tournament in the super-middleweight (168 lbs) division. The four participants will first clash in three-round semi-final matches, with the winners then squaring off immediately for a five-round final to determine which of them walks away with the grand prize and The Golden Robe.
Zak Chelli (7-1-1, 3 KO’s) makes his debut for BOXXER in this tournament and is looking to score statement wins to erase his frustrations at the controversial decision which followed his fight with Jack Cullen earlier this year.
Joining him on the starting grid are young Manchester prospect Ben Ridings (3-0-0) and two new additions to the card. Liverpool’s Harry Woods (4-0), who boxed for England as an amateur, and Cumbria’s Mike McGoldrick(6-0, 2 KO’s) step in to replace Diego Costa and Charlie Schofield, who have withdrawn due to injury and covid-19 infection respectively.
“Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank, Carl Froch, Joe Calzaghe – super-middleweight is a weight class which has produced a lot of legends. It’s a very competitive division and it produces a lot of explosive fights, which you’ll see in this tournament,” said BOXXER’s Ben Shalom.
Along with Shalom holding the distinction of being the youngest licensed promoter in the UK, the event is also writing itself into the British boxing history books by hosting the first tournament of its kind ever to be sanctioned by the British Board of Boxing Control (BBBC).
Building up to the tournament action, the #TuesdayNightFightNight card will showcase some of the brightest prospects on the British boxing circuit, including ‘The Punching Preacher’ Derrick Osaze (10-0, 2 KO's), an ordained church minister, and the London-based Albanian threat Florian ‘TNT’ Marku (6-0, 4 KO’s) who returns to the ring looking to build on the dominant win he scored in his promotional debut earlier this year.
The card also features 25-year-old Mikael Lawal (12-0, 7 KO's), winner of the UB4 Cruiserweight Tournament. Fighting out of Shepherd’s Bush, London, Lawal has battled his way from being a homeless teenager on the streets of Lagos, Nigeria to being a serious cruiserweight contender – a win here on November 10 puts him in position for a shot at the British championship.
Love Island star Jack Fincham will make his professional debut on this card, bringing a 26-fight amateur record to the ring as he looks to transition from reality TV celebrity to real-deal boxing contender.
“With Florian Marku and Derrick Osaze, you’ve got two of the most exciting prospects in the country right now, and of course there’s also been a lot of interest in Jack Fincham making his professional debut,” said Shalom.
“Mikael Lawal’s life story is like something from a movie, from homeless street kid to sparring with the likes of Oleksandr Usyk and Mairis Briedis and being within touching distance of the British cruiserweight title. This is one of the best cards of the year we’re bringing to BT Sport next Tuesday.”
With the nation still under social distancing restrictions, the BOXXER fight night will take place behind closed doors at the BT Sport Studios in Stratford, London.
As a precaution, BOXXER are creating a ‘bubble’ several days ahead of the event, with all the staff and athletes being sequestered in a nearby hotel to minimize any risk of exposure to coronavirus.
The draw to determine the tournament semi-final matches will take place inside this bubble on Saturday, November 8, as well as the official pre-fight weigh-ins on Monday November 9, a day before the live event takes place at the BT Sport Studios on Tuesday, November 10.
On-air talent for the evening will feature some household names from the sports world, including former champion Paulie Malignaggi and veteran analyst Steve Bunce. They will be joined by Layla Anna Lee, Savage Dan and Will Perry.
The full fight card is as follows:
BOXXER – Tuesday 10th November
SUPER-MIDDLEWEIGHT FOUR-MAN TOURNAMENT
Zak Chelli
Ben Ridings
Harry Woods
Mike McGoldrick
UNDERCARD
Mikael Lawal v Ossie Jervier
6 x 3 Minute Rounds Cruiserweight Contest
Derrick Osaze v John Telford
6 x 3 Minute Rounds Middleweight Contest
Florian Marku v Muma Mweemba
4/6 x 3 Minute Rounds Welterweight Contest
Jack Fincham v TBC
Professional Debut
4 x 3 Minute Rounds Light-Heavyweight Contest
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