WITH just one day to go before fight night, every boxer on the Bournemouth card is locked in and ready. But before the action begins, there was one final task of stepping on the scales.
After weeks of intense training and strict diets, the weight cuts are done. All fighters made weight and will now focus on rehydration and fight execution.
For the super-featherweight main event, Ryan Garner and Reece Bellotti both came in comfortably under the 130-pound super-featherweight limit. Calm and composed, they stood surrounded by their teams and showed mutual respect. There was no trash talk, just quiet confidence from two professionals ready to get the job done.
In the cruiserweight clash between Aloys Junior and Ellis Zorro, tension was building. A heated exchange during the press conference set the tone. As they waited for their respective turns to hop on the scales, Zorro remained stoic and quiet, appearing conscious of the pressurised position he now finds himself in.
Zorro knows that he is in a must-win scenario following two back-to-back stoppage defeats to Jai Opetaia and Cheavon Clarke. On the other hand, Aloys Junior was outgoing, vocal and brimming with confidence, promising an early finish on Saturday night.
In an interesting domestic clash, Amir Abubaker and Carl Fail line up for their super-welterweight dust-up for the Midlands Area championship. Checking himself multiple times before the official ceremony, Amir Abubaker was glad to have his meeting with the scales over and done with.
In comparison, his opponent, Carl Fail, present with his brother Ben, also a professional boxer, stayed relaxed and smiling until it was time to face off. Both boxers came in under the 154lbs limit. Abubaker appeared physically bigger, while Fail, although taller, looked leaner. Make no mistake, both are in tremendous shape.
Amongst the undercard were Matchroom’s top prospect, Taylor Bevan, coming from Southampton and Roy Jones Jr’s latest prospect and, in his words, “future multi-division world champion”, Tony Curtis Jr. Bevan hopped on the scales in incredible shape with a focused demeanour, ready for business. Quiet and composed, he almost blended in with the crowd until his name was called.
Curtis Jr was by his mentor’s side during the entire ceremony, right up until it was time to get in front of the cameras. For a young man in his teens, he seems ultimately prepared for this, having already accumulated 11 fights in the professional scene. With such prominent experience at a young age, Curtis was naturally excited to have the opportunity to showcase his skills to a wider audience.
In addition to the fireworks this card is expected to produce, Hassan Ishaq will be making his professional debut. Ishaq is a two-time England amateur national champion. A celebratory event was held to mark the beginning of his boxing journey, with stars like Anthony Joshua and Hamzah Sheeraz showing support for the 21-year-old from Slough.
