BT Sport hosts a double header this Saturday night, beginning with a UK leg at the Telford International Centre. Marc Leach defends his British super bantamweight title for the first time in the main event, against home favourite, Liam Davies.
Following Leach vs Davies, Daniel Dubois will attempt to dethrone WBA ‘regular’ heavyweight champion, Trevor Bryan in Miami.
Leach (18-1-1, 4 KOs) is very much underrated, but came to the fore in October 2020, where he dropped hot prospect Qais Ashfaq twice on the way to a ten round points win.
The Manchester man followed that win up with an assured unanimous victory over Thomas Essomba, and had to wait patiently for his shot at the Lonsdale Belt.
That chance came in March, where he largely dominated his contest with Chris Bourke, taking the vacant title with a handy win on the cards.
Next up for ‘Livewire’ is the unproven Telford hope, Davies (11-0, 5 KOs). A former English champion, the unbeaten 26-year-old has been largely untested as a professional, and went ten rounds for the first time in his career last time out, a routine points win over Dixon Flores for the vacant WBC International Silver strap.
Prediction: Leach is a boxer waiting to be unleashed, and he has impressed as a professional with little exposure. I think he will be too seasoned for Davies here, and can take a clear points win.
Ahmed-Khademi meet in trilogy
A superb trilogy match heads the undercard. Ijaz Ahmed (10-2-1, 1 KO) and Kaisy Khademi (8-1-1, 2 KOs) meet for a third time, with the vacant British super flyweight title up for grabs.
The pair have so far served up 22 absorbing rounds, and there has been little to separate them. Ahmed took their original meeting in February last year with a razor-thin majority verdict that gave him the vacant IBF European title, and Khademi’s WBO European strap.
A rematch was a natural, and they did it again in Birmingham last August, with the vacant Lonsdale Belt at stake.
In another breathless encounter, the pair couldn’t be separated, and the fight was declared a draw.
Prediction: Khademi looked unlucky to not get the nod in the sequel, and I favour him to take the win this time around in yet another close contest.
Hutchinson returns
Willy Hutchinson (13-1, 9 KOs) makes his return to action following a devastating fifth round defeat to Lennox Clarke last time out for the British and Commonwealth titles, and the Scottish super middleweight can take care of Karel Horejsek (18-13-3, 15 KOs) inside the eight round distance. This one is set for light heavyweight.
Remaining Undercard
In six round action, Muhammad Ali (3-0) can take his super featherweight contest with Brayan Mairena (11-27-1, 5 KOs) on points, and at welterweight, George Bance (3-0, 1 KO) should do the same against Richard Helm (1-7-1, 1 KO).
The rest of the card consists of four-round bouts. At lightweight, William Hayden (3-0, 1 KO) should take a points win over Engel Gomez (8-10-1, 4 KOs), and Callum Thompson (3-0, 1 KO) can also stay unbeaten against Jordan Ellison (13-38-3, 1 KO), also on the cards.
Raheem Muhammad (1-0) should see off Stephen Jackson (1-19-1, 1 KO) on points at bantamweight, and at super lightweight, Amaar Akbar (2-0) will likely need the distance too against Matar Sambou (2-19, 1 KO).
Unbeaten super lightweight, Eithan James (8-0) and undefeated light heavyweight prospect, Ezra Taylor (2-0, 1 KO) both feature against opponents to be confirmed.
