BEN SHALOM and Boxxer have been unlucky with injuries recently, and this show is another casualty.
Adam Azim, their most exciting prospect, was supposed to be the headline fighter in a step-up fight against Aram Faniian. Unfortunately, Azim had to be pulled out due to an injury. It was reported that he cut his knuckles in a training session last month and the wound got infected.
Despite the absence of the headliner, Boxxer decided to continue with the show, renaming it ‘In the footsteps of giants’. The implication is that this Friday night is an opportunity for the future stars of the country to make significant progress at the York Hall, following in the footsteps of past British greats.
Frazer Clarke is set to officially headline the event, facing the experienced Mariusz Wach.
Clarke’s last fight was surrounded by controversy when Boxxer withdrew him from a purse bid for a clash with British heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley. Shalom has stated that they still want that fight, but Clarke needs to box a few more rounds before he’s ready. This upcoming fight with Wach is scheduled for a maximum of eight rounds.
Wach, at 43 years old, knows how to take care of himself, especially in an eight-round fight. He went the distance with Kevin Lerena, a former cruiserweight who managed to knock down Daniel Dubois three times last year.
Clarke could potentially overpower and stop Wach early, but the Polish fighter knows enough to neutralize Clarke and make the fight ugly.
Caroline Dubois also faces a significant challenge, as she takes on highly ranked Yanina Lescano in an eight-round lightweight bout. Dubois, with a record of 6-0 (5), has aspirations of fighting Mikaela Mayer before the end of the year, but she can’t afford to make any mistakes in this toughest fight of her professional career. Nonetheless, she should clearly win on points.
Aaron McKenna, a highly rated middleweight, will face his first undefeated opponent, Uisma Lima. McKenna, who moved from Ireland to Los Angeles along with his brother Stevie, has been successful throughout his 16-0 (8) career so far. A victory against Lima in this well-matched fight, broadcasted live on Sky, will greatly enhance his profile.
However, McKenna may have to overcome some tough moments against Lima, a middleweight with a formidable record of 10-0 (8). Most of Lima’s recent fights have ended within the first three rounds, and he understands that a victory here will change everything for him. Nevertheless, if McKenna’s chin holds up, he should have enough skill to defeat Lima in the later rounds of this 10-round bout.
Viddal Riley and Anees Taj will have a rematch in the cruiserweight division. They previously fought on the Azim-Reyes card in February, but the fight was called off due to a bad cut suffered by Taj. Riley won via a fourth-round TKO, and now Taj has been given a second chance. However, it is expected that Riley will secure another stoppage victory.
Isaac Chamberlain, another British cruiserweight, will have a six-round fight after his British title bout against Mikael Lawal fell through. Originally scheduled to compete in Bournemouth, Chamberlain will instead face Daniel Bocianski.
In addition, there will be six-round fights for Azim’s elder brother Hassan in the welterweight division, and for Sam Gilley against Ellis Corrie at light-middleweight. Roman Fury, Tyson Fury’s brother, will have a four-round bout against Erik Nazaryan. Roman Fury won his debut fight against Ryan Hibbert in October.