Timings:
Main Doors: 4:20pm
First Bout: 4:40pm
Main Bout: 8pm
Event End: 11pm
*All timings are subject to change
RITSON AND DAVIES TOP THE BILL AS NEWCASTLE HOSTS BLOCKBUSTER NIGHT OF BOXING THIS FEBRUARY
The event, promoted by Phil Jeffries, takes place at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena on Saturday March 4th.
Top-tier boxing comes to Newcastle next month as local boy Lewis Ritson faces Ohara Davies in an epic headline bout, with stars including Thomas Patrick Ward, Lee McGregor and Steven Cairns also in action on the night.
The event features fighters from the local area along with UK and international talents.
North meets south as Ritson (23-2, 13 knockouts) and Davies (24-2, 17 knockouts) collide in the night’s main event, a super lightweight clash.
Newcastle-born Ritson returns to action for the first time since March, when he overcame the challenge of Montenegro’s Dejan Zlaticanin via a unanimous decision at the same venue, while Londoner Davies defeated Abdessamad Nechchad, from Granada, in June courtesy of an eighth-round knockout.
Thomas Patrick Ward (33-0-1, 5 knockouts) takes on Uzbekistan’s Otabek Kholmatov (10-0, 9 knockouts) in a WBA final eliminator for the featherweight world title as the duo put their unbeaten records on the line in a bid to become mandatory challenger to Leigh Wood.
Durham-born Ward will have a big following at the Utilita Arena as he competes in what will be the biggest fight of his career to date given the high stakes. The 28-year-old was last in action in July, when he secured a third-round knockout victory over Tanzania’s Ally Mwerangi at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light.
The fact nine of Kholmatov’s 10 victories have been achieved via knockout speaks volumes about the 24-year-old’s punch power while his most recent victory, against Russia’s Andranik Grigorian earlier this year, was the first time in which he had been forced to go the distance.
Meanwhile, undefeated Scotsman Lee McGregor (11-0-1, 9 knockouts) will compete for the first time since drawing against Argentina’s Diego Alberto Ruiz last February. The Edinburgh-born bantamweight, undoubtedly one of the UK’s biggest talents, goes up against Burkina Faso’s Alexis Boureima Kabore (29-7-0, 8 knockouts).
Also competing is talented Irishman Steven Cairns (4-0, 2 knockouts), who will be aiming to build on what has been an impressive start to his professional career.
Trained by David Coldwell, the 20-year-old beat Belgian Angelo Turco on points in October and now faces Argentina’s Ezequiel Gregores (3-12).
Having made his professional debut last March, when he drew against Greg O’Neill, five-time amateur national champion Ben Rees (0-0-1) returns to the ring as he faces Robbie Chapman (10-24-2, 1 knockout) in an all-British affair.
Tickets for the event are on sale now and are available to purchase via Ticketmaster.
