Danny Cassius Connor and Michael Devine are hoping to settle their unfinished business in the Prizefighter Lightweights III at York Hall, Bethnal Green on Saturday night. Connor and Devine met at the east London home of boxing in September only for their ten-rounder to be halted prematurely when a clash of heads left Connor with a cut that he couldn’t continue to box with.
The pair will be glued to their TVs tomorrow morning when the draw for Saturday’s action is made by Adam Smith and Johnny Nelson at 10.30am on Sky Sports News – with both men seeing their brief first encounter differently.
“I hope to face him on Saturday,” said former finalist Connor. “I was winning the fight until I got a cut, you never know what is going to happen in a fight but I felt comfortable and I would love to face him again, if not in Prizefighter then down the line, but hopefully the draw will be kind and we can meet – it was only going one way the last time and I know it would be the same story again.
“I know what to expect, it is three-threes – people know the format inside out now, if you don’t know how to prepare for it then you are a bit thick to be honest! It’s a quick pace, you have to get in there and get the win, that’s all that matters.”
“We both want to settle the score so if it’s the quarters, semis or the final we meet in, it doesn’t bother me, as long as we get to fight,” said Devine. “Danny is a good lad, he markets himself well and sells a lot of tickets, I’ve got a good following anyway so I don’t need to rise to the stuff he has said – it shifts a few more tickets so fair play.
“It’s a massive opportunity for me, finally getting on the big stage and operating at a high level, I’m really buzzing.
“I’ve won the Southern Area title over ten rounds so I paced myself in those fights but when I was a four-round fighter I would come out of the blocks fast, I can mix it up and I can box so this suits me down to the ground. The hungry young guys are going to be the ones to watch, we are all trying to make a name for ourselves and we’re going to be going for it.
“I’ve won titles at Super Featherweight so I would love to get an English title shot in the New Year. I’m 25 now, I’ve done my apprenticeship and I’m heading for my prime years, it’s time to loosen the reins and go for the big titles and fights.”
Connor and Devine are part of a great line-up for the eight-man, one night tournament, with former Super Featherweight winner Gary Buckland looking to become the third man to win the trophy twice.
Former European champion Stephen Foster Jnr. is second favourite behind Buckland, while Fareham’s big-punching Floyd Moore will have his eyes on the £2,000 KO bonus, and novice talents Jono Carroll, Lee Martin and Craig Whyatt will all be hoping to land the trophy and leap into the ratings.
Martin J. Ward and Maxi Hughes meet in between the semi-finals and the final on Saturday night in an excellent British Super Featherweight match-up while there are outings before the start of Prizefighter for former British and Commonwealth Light Welterweight champion Ajose Olusegun fighting back in the UK for the first time since 2011, and talented young Lightweight Ohara Davies in his fourth pro fight.
A limited number of £40 tickets for Saturday night’s action are still available from www.matchroomboxing.com.
