EUROPEAN light-heavyweight champion Bradley Rea won’t be short of opponents at Queensberry, having signed a promotional deal with Frank Warren’s outfit.
The 27-year-old claimed the EBU title just under five weeks ago, outpointing Shakan Pitters at Connexin Live in Hull. It was the biggest win of Rea’s career to date, having previously campaigned at middleweight until 2022, when he lost his bid for the English middleweight title against Tyler Denny.
Now fighting 15 pounds heavier, Rea (21-1, 10 KOs) is thriving in the light-heavyweight division and has left behind the draining days of boiling down to 11st 6lbs. Trained by Joe Gallagher, ‘The Sting’ finds himself in a competitive field within the Queensberry stable, with the likes of Willy Hutchinson, Zach Parker, Liam Cameron, and Karol Itauma all representing potential future opponents.
“I am excited because I feel like I am finally at the stage I belong at,” said Rea. “I’ve been wanting to be on these big shows, big platforms and in fights against big names.
“I feel like Frank and Queensberry can deliver that for me. So, I am excited about the future, definitely. This is the place to be, especially for the light heavyweights. I want to be in the big fights against the best names, and this is part of the reason why I was so eager to sign with Frank.
“He can deliver the big fights, and he can deliver the big names.”
Upon Queensberry’s announcement on social media, their Head of Boxing, Lee Eaton, replied: “Big fight news coming.”
The EBU website – though not always the most up-to-date source – currently lists Rea as being “in private negotiations” for a fight against 37-year-old Italian Luca D’Ortenzi (20-4, 5 KOs).
Early last month, Lyndon Arthur’s trainer, Pat Barrett, called for Rea to defend his title against his fellow Mancunian. “It’d be one of the biggest Manchester derbies in years,” he said, referencing a potential bout between the Manchester City-supporting Rea and Manchester United fan Arthur.
