HEAVYWEIGHT powerhouse David Adeleye looks to prove that he is a level above Jeamie TKV when they lock horns on April 5.
The pair will collide in an all-British dustup at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England, featuring on the undercard of Dillian Whyte vs Joe Joyce.
But while TKV, 8-1 (5 KOs), represents a solid domestic name, โBig Dโ insists that he was targeting a different opponent who could accelerate his progression towards world level.
Since his devastating seventh-round stoppage defeat to Fabio Wardley back in 2023, Adeleye, 13-1 (12 KOs), has joined forces with trainer Adam Booth in a bid to refine his raw but explosive style.
Seemingly, their partnership has already begun to take shape, with the 28-year-old producing a ruthless first-round finish in his last outing against Solomon Dacres.
But despite claiming the English title, Adeleye had his sights firmly set on former Tyson Fury opponent Tom Schwarz for his next assignment.
Schwartz, of course, was blitzed by โThe Gypsy Kingโ inside two rounds when they squared off back in 2019, and has since done very little to prove his credentials at world level.
Not only that, but the German was also disqualified for taking a dive in his bizarre six-round clash with Senad Gashi just under seven years ago.
Adeleye, though, would have preferred the matchup over his upcoming collision with TKV, who comes off a ninth-round stoppage victory against Michael Webster earlier this month.
But regardless of his fight in April, the Londoner has nonetheless expressed his lofty ambitions to challenge for world honours in the not too distant future.
โ[Schwartz] is the fight I wouldโve really liked,โ Adeleye told Boxing Newsโ Andi Purewal.
โHeโs only lost once to Tyson [Fury]. They were the sort of names we were looking at, and theyโre the sort of names that really whet my appetite.
โI want the big names. Thatโs the aim โ to be in mandatory positions and top 15 with the sanctioning bodies. I want to win world titles.โ