Details of Wasserman Boxing’s debut show on Channel 5 were announced today.
The Indigo at the O2 will play host to the event on Friday, May 13 and featuring on the card will be the return of 2016 Olympian Josh Kelly. The 28-year-old from Sunderland last fought in February 2021 when he was stopped in the 6th round of a crushing defeat to David Avenesyan for the European welterweight title.
“I’m excited to get back into the ring and to start this new chapter in my career,” said Kelly in a press release.
“This is where I belong, and I can’t wait to get back out there and put on a show. I took some time out to sort some personal issues out after my last fight but now I’m ready to get back to what I do best. The next bit of my career is going to be huge. I’m after world titles. I’m not in the game for anything less. I know I will have to dig deep to get there but I’m ready to do whatever it takes to get a world title whether that be at welterweight or super-welterweight.”
Also on the bill is the vacant British middleweight clash between Linus Udofia and Denzel Bentley. The latter is a recent former champion but lost in his first defence to Felix Cash who then vacated the Lonsdale belt.
Udofia, a former English champion said, “I’ve seen a lot of Denzel Bentley. He’s a good operator, he’s very slick and I think our styles are going to gel really well. This is going to be a good fight for the public.”
Bentley is desperate to get his old title back and believes the fight against Udofia is a tough one to call.
“I know my opponent Linus Udofia is a good boxer and it’s going to be a real 50-50 fight. I’m expecting a full-blooded, fan-friendly affair. I can’t wait till fight night. I’m itching to prove that I am still one of the best fighters in the division.”
Elsewhere Harlem Eubank meets Sean Dodd at super-lightweight while Brad Pauls faces Ryan Kelly in a British middleweight title eliminator. “We’re delighted to kick start our partnership with Channel 5 with this fantastic free-to-air event,” said Wasserman’s Head of Global Boxing, Kalle Sauerland. “When we signed the deal with Channel 5, we said we wanted to revolutionise free-to-air boxing in the UK by bringing the biggest and best fights possible to the masses. The revolution starts now.”