Sam Maxwell will fight for his first title later this month, when the 30-year-old super lightweight returns on February 23 in Leicester.
Maxwell, a Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, is back at the Morningside Arena, exclusively live on BT Sport.
And the undefeated talent, 10-0 (8 KOs), will vie for the vacant WBO European title against Spanish opposition in less than three weeks’ time.
‘Super’ Sam will have Kelvin Dotel in the opposite corner, having originally been lined up to face fellow undefeated man Darren Surtees, on the card that is topped by Anthony Yarde’s defence of the WBO Inter-Continental light-heavyweight title against Travis Reeves.
Dotel holds a record of 14-4 (7 KOs), having won the Spanish welterweight title in 2015 and the IBF International title last year. In his last fight in December he defeated the then-18-0 Mishiko Beselia via a sixth-round stoppage.
“It is a massive title and a massive opportunity for me that I am looking forward to,” Maxwell, who now trains in Glasgow under trainer Danny Vaughan, said of the fight.
“I think it is perfect timing for me because I am peaking and I aimed for this to be my year. It is when I wanted a shot and it has been delivered to me.”
“From Dotel’s record he has boxed at a higher level than me and in his last fight he beat an undefeated opponent. I have watched a few videos of him and he is a good all-round boxer who looks like he has got a bit of power as well. So it should be a good fight,” he added, knowing full well that recent history has provided evidence of the dangers of overlooking Spanish fighters operating at European level.
“I always look at it as if they come from Spain or France they are usually very respectable opponents and I will have to be at my best – and I’m going to be.”
A fight between Maxwell and ‘Two Tanks’ Ohara Davies has been on the lips of many for some time and it’s something Maxwell is more than willing to entertain – once this is out of the way.
“I am just a 10-0 opponent at the moment and not really on his radar,” he added. “If I perform as well as I know I can and win this title, I’ll start pricking some ears up and people will start taking an interest in me.
“Then big fights like this can happen.”
Maxwell’s fight with Dotel on the Yarde vs. Reeves card is flanked by British super featherweight champion Sam ‘Bullet’ Bowen. Local fighters CJ Challenger and Kyle Haywood do battle for the vacant Midlands Area super welterweight title, with Nathan Gorman, Lyon Woodstock, Ryan Garner, Willy Hutchinson, Tommy Fury, Ryan Hatton and Mark Chamberlain also featuring on the card.
Article by: Elliot Foster