Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions look set to avoid any clash with rivals Matchroom this summer by staging their behind-closed-doors shows on Friday nights.
Warren aims to stage at least five shows without an audience this summer, starting on July 10, as the sport starts again after the coronavirus shutdown.
Last week Boxing Scene revealed that Warren was planning to put the first shows in the UK since the spread of the pandemic at the studios of broadcaster BT Sport in East London. Eddie Hearn is planning to stage four cards as part of his Fight Camp series, with the shows set to take place on Saturday nights, probably starting on July 25.
The first Warren show is to feature Brad Foster defending his British and Commonwealth super-bantamweight titles against undefeated contender James Beech.
“This is just the beginning,” Warren said. “It’s going to be a magnificent summer of Great British boxing.”
British Boxing Board of Control guidelines limit each show to five bouts, to ensure the numbers on site are kept to a minimum. The first show of the series will also feature unbeaten super-welterweight Hamzah Sheeraz against Paul Kean, as well as heavyweight prospect David Adeleye and Mark Chamberlain, the lightweight.
Other shows will feature Anthony Cacace defending his British super-featherweight title against Lyon Woodstock and Lerrone Richards putting his British and Commonwealth super-middleweight titles on the line against Umar Sadiq.
“I am thrilled to inform the fans that the wait for live boxing to return is coming to an end,” Warren said. “It has been a long haul and a trying time for everyone but we can now see the first flicker of light at the end of the tunnel.
“I am so excited to get going again after a period of unprecedented planning and detail to get to where we are. Unfortunately boxing without fans at the venue is the new, but I am sure temporary, normal and we have made it our business to bring the sport back at the earliest opportunity in line with government guidelines regarding health and safety protocols.
“Our opening show on July 10 is just for starters and we will be looking to go bigger and better as we move along in our summer season that will see us deliver at least five TV shows.
“Across these dates it is our intention to showcase highly competitive fights between hungry young domestic fighters and increase the stakes from show to show. No easy fights, just British boxing as it should be.
“I am also looking forward to seeing our unparalleled crop of brilliant young fighters step up the risk levels and really make the most of what will be huge exposure for them across the BT Sport platforms.”
Ron Lewis is a senior writer for Boxing Scene. He was Boxing Correspondent for The Times, where he worked from 2001-2019 - covering four Olympic Games and numerous world title fights across the globe. He has written about boxing for a wide variety of publications worldwide since the 1980s.
