WHAT an exciting night ahead for Welsh boxing fans, Saturday, May 30.
So often the bridesmaid since the dissolution of the Team Calzaghe stable and the retirement of Joe, Wales is no longer a nation forced to look enviously at the biggest UK bills.
The show scheduled for London’s 02 Arena is jam-packed and Welsh boxers and specifically Gwent ones will play a massive part in a night of historic proportions with three world title battles to be settled.
A trio of Welshman will feature heavily and it is a measure of others’ progress that former world champion Nathan Cleverly returning to the light heavyweight division is probably the least captivating contest.
Blackwood’s Craig Evans, who is undefeated, will put his record on the line against Scott Cardle, another lightweight who has never tasted defeat and stylistically, this should be absolutely immense.
And then, of course, there is Barry’s Lee Selby, the pride of Newport’s increasingly famous St Joseph’s gym in the city centre.
Selby challenges Evgeny Gradovich for his world IBF featherweight title and is favourite to claim the belt and become Wales’ first world champion since Cleverly.
I’ve written before that in terms of pure skill, Selby is not only the best Welsh boxer since Calzaghe, but he’s also arguably currently Britain’s top pound-for-pound pugilist. He’s dubbed the “Welsh Mayweather,” for a reason and will show it at the end of the month as the viewers on Sky Box Office see that Selby is exactly that, box office and a PPV fighter.
He’ll then go on to some huge potential fights down the line and his success as St Joes first world champion will further enhance the reputation of Tony Borg and his superb coaches who have been achieving amazing amateur and professional results for a number of years.
We’ve waited a really long time for the next generation of Welsh fighters to get excited about, and led by Selby, the time has finally arrived.
So all eyes on the O2.
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