Undefeated Jay Harris will face world title challenger Angel Moreno for the vacant EBU flyweight title at Cardiff’s Vale Sports Arena on June 1 – live on ESPN+ and iFL TV.
The popular Welshman (15-0-KO8) has already won the Commonwealth crown and will be looking to add another major belt to his collection against Moreno (19-3-2-KO6), who was outpointed by WBC world champion Charlie Edwards last month.
As news of the huge #MTKFightNight broke, Harris said: “I'm over the moon. Fighting for the prestigious EBU European title means everything to me.
“Winning this belt can unlock lots of doors for me and it's brilliant that it's in Cardiff. I'm hoping to get a good crowd down there and it should be a massive atmosphere.
"Moreno is a tough guy and I'm expecting a hard fight. We saw Moreno fight Charlie Edwards recently and Charlie boxed really well but Moreno was game as hell and kept coming forward constantly, so I'll have to be on top form to beat him.
"It's fantastic to be fighting on ESPN+ as well. I'm getting to show my skills to a wider audience and hopefully I can attract some new fans in America."
The #MTKFightNight will star a host of other local and international talents. More fights and fighters will be announced in due course.
Archie Sharp returns to action on April 27th at The SSE Arena, Wembley for his first outing since claiming the WBO European title.
‘Sharpshooter’ has openly spoken about past experiences with mental health and with the help of a coach, learns from his past demons by focusing on positivity and the importance of a strong mind to further his boxing career.
Archie explains how a strong mind has done wonders for not only his boxing career, but his general well-being too.
“My mind is so strong now because of my mind coach, I saw her before I turned pro and I was in a bit of a bad place towards the end of the amateurs, things weren’t great for me, so I deal with the mental health side of things.”
The Welling-boxer will appear in the ring on April 27th for the first time since defeating domestic rival Lyon Woodstock back in October 2018.
The Woodstock victory was Sharp’s ‘coming out’ fight after beating the popular Leicester lad in his own back yard at the Morningside Leicester Arena in front of the BT Sport cameras.
The contest came with new experiences for the undefeated 23-year-old after Woodstock opted to be the protagonist in a feisty build up.
“For the Woodstock fight, my mind was so strong and as you saw, I got the result I knew I was going to get.
Featherweight talent Erick Ituarte (20-1-1, 3 KOs), riding high on a thirteen-fight winning streak, headlines "Locked n' Loaded" on Friday, April 19, from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.
Ituarte, who lives in Santa Ana, Calif., faces veteran Jose Estrella (20-15-1, 14 KOs) of Mexico in the 10-round main event.
Ituarte, a former Junior NABF featherweight champion, is fighting for the first time this year. His last win occurred in May against previous world title challenger Carlos Carlson. Shortly after, a back injury nearly derailed his career, but now fully healthy, Ituarte has set his sights on a world title fight.
"I'm not looking passed Estrella because I know he's a tough guy, but I need to look the part of a world champion in this fight to be considered a challenger to Oscar Valdez," said Ituarte, who climbed to the No. 5 position in the WBO rankings last year, but is now unranked due to his absence. "I've been putting in a lot of work in training camp to make sure I make the best case for that world title shot."
Known as a fast starter and volume puncher, Ituarte figures to be tested against the more experienced Estrella. Estrella has seen significant action against elite prospects and world title challengers. The pair share a common opponent in Carlson, whom Ituarte defeated on points, while Estrella suffered a decision loss.
"We've worked on a few new things this training camp," Ituarte said. "I want to start fast and let him feel my punches early."
Tickets for "Locked n' Loaded" are priced at $40, $60, & $100, and are available for purchase by calling 714-935-0900, or online at ThompsonBoxing.com.
In the "Locked n' Loaded" co-feature, Richard Brewart (4-0, 2 KOs), an undefeated prospect in the junior middleweight division fighting out Upland, Calif., fights Adan Ahumada (3-7-2, 2 KOs) of Mexico (4-rounds).
Welterweight prospect Luis Lopez (5-0, 3 KOs) of Corona, Calif. looks to continue the impressive start to his career when he faces Luis Acuña Rojas (2-3) of Mexico (4-rounds).
Unbeaten heavyweight Oscar Torres (4-0, 1 KO) of Riverside, Calif. aims to stay unbeaten against Thomas Hawkins (4-3, 1 KO) of Houston in a bout set for 4-rounds.
Chris Crowley and Davonte McCowen will each make their professional debuts in the 4-round "Locked n' Loaded" show opener.
“When they were talking to me and trying to get on my case, I was never out of control and I knew exactly what I needed to do.
“To be honest with you, I was mentally in control from the first press conference to the end of the fight.
“When I came into that ring on fight-night I was so zoned-in with what I needed to do and that is why I got the job done.”
Along with his fledging boxing career, now boasting a 14-0 record with seven knockouts to his name, the Welling man also focuses on using his past mental health experiences to help others.
“I go and do workshops for young kids and adults to talk about mental health because it all plays a part.
“I’ll use it for the rest of my life and will use it to help other people with it. It’s incredible to see what you can do when your state of mind is so strong.”
“I know exactly where I want to be in this sport. The next 18 months, I have a little plan which includes world title fights. In the next 18 months I’ll be at world level and mixing it with the top-level fighters for sure.
“I know how good I am as a fighter and I now believe it; I mentally believe it.”