As the old saying goes - the show must go on! That is the mantra Matchroom boxing have adopted this week in Liverpool. With the headline act Callum Smith pulling out of his fight with Pawel Stepien less than two weeks away from fight night a decision had to made whether to completely pull the card or not, luckily Eddie Hearn made the choice to run the card with a new double header main event.
Local super welterweight contender Robbie Davies Jr (23-3), originally scheduled to face Liam Paro, now takes on the Australian based Irishman Darragh Foley (21-4-1) as one of half of the main event. Davies Jr fought just the once in 2022 picking up a ten round split decision victory over Javier Molina on the Joshua Buatsi v Craig Richards undercard back in May. Under the tutelage of trainer Shane McGuigan ‘RDJ’ will be looking to get back into title contention at 140lbs having previously held British, Commonwealth & European straps.
‘Little Leavers Meat Cleaver’ Jack Cullen (21-3-1) will take on a formidable challenge in the form of the highly touted & undefeated Diego Pacheco (17-0) in the second half of Saturday’s centrepiece. Cullen holds victories over Avni Yildirim, John Docherty & John Harding Jr but will finds himself a sizeable underdog against Pacheco who is fighting on British soil for the first time. The California native has 14 stoppage victories from his 17 professional fights thus far & is earmarked for big things by promoter Eddie Hearn.
Elsewhere on the card Warrington’s Rhiannon Dixon (7-0) will clash with Vicky Wilkinson (5-0-1) for the vacant Commonwealth trinket, Dixon is trained by former WBA lightweight champion Anthony ‘Million Dollar’ Crolla. The ‘Romford Bull’ Johnny Fisher (7-0) will no doubt be joined by his sizeable following when he takes on Italian slugger Alfonso Damiani (6-2) & Oldham’s unbeaten lightweight prospect Aqib Fiaz takes on Dean Dodge (9-2-1) over 8 rounds.
The quartet of Peter McGrail, Campbell Hatton, Paddy Lacey & George Liddard, yet to taste defeat in their embryonic careers, will all look to extend their respective unblemished ledgers on the card.