He won the ABA title there as an amateur 10 years ago at the age of 18, and now returns to the venue to compete in Friday’s huge Golden Contract featherweight quarter-finals.
Dickens (27-3, 11 KOs) was given the chance to choose his opponent during Tuesday’s draw, opting to take on EBU EU champion Carlos Ramos (11-1, 7 KOs).
To some boxers, only having three days to study his opponent may be a problem, but Dickens is taking it all in his stride and plans on using that past amateur glory at York Hall to his advantage.
Dickens said: “The place is a great omen for me. I won the ABAs there 10 years ago aged 18, and I then turned professional to experience nights like this.
“York Hall will be bouncing, and without all of the other opponents, I can’t be the best version of myself. Every single boxer in the tournament is a respected warrior, so good luck and God bless.
“On fight night, fans can expect to see a warrior’s waistcoat, me walking out to Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel, and then a win at all costs.”
Tuesday’s dramatic draw also saw match-ups made between Leigh Wood and David Oliver Joyce, Hairon Socarras and Ryan Walsh, and Tyrone McCullagh and Carlos Araujo.
Friday’s event is live in the UK by Sky Sports in association with Matchroom Boxing, in the US on ESPN+ in association with Top Rank, with the undercard on iFL TV worldwide.
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Source: MTK Global [Press Release]