BOXXER PRODIGIES DUBOIS, AZIM AND REA TO LIGHT UP AO ARENA MANCHESTER ON 2 JULY

Manchester, England – 8 June 2022 – Fast emerging BOXXER talents Caroline DuboisHassan Azim and Brad Rea will showcase their talents on the undercard of the crunch heavyweight showdown between Hughie Fury and Michael Hunter at the AO Arena Manchester on Saturday 2nd July, live and exclusive on Sky Sports.

The trio of prospects will join another red-hot talent who makes his highly-anticipated entry into the professional ranks, 2020 Olympic silver medallist Ben ‘B£NZO’ Whittaker. Trained by SugarHill Steward, multi-decorated amateur Whittaker was one of the most sought-after Tokyo Olympians by promoters. With his sublime talent and unique flair, he aims to become this generation’s face of the sport.

Manchester prospect Rea (13-0, 5 KO’s), who defeated Lukas Ndafoluma last time out in April, fights in front of his home fans’ for the second time this year when he features in an eight-rounder against Welshman Morgan Jones (14-3, 5 KO’s). 

The all-action middleweight flattened Craig McCarthy for the count with one left uppercut on his last visit to the AO Arena Manchester on the Khan-Brook undercard in February. Prior to that he enhanced his growing reputation with an impressive victory over Jez Smith in a pulsating eight-round battle last October.

Lightweight sensation Dubois (2-0, 1 KO) has looked superb since turning pro last year and is now unbeaten in two fights at just 21 years old. ‘Sweet Caroline’ registered her first stoppage – a blistering first round TKO of Martina Horgasz in March – and will continue to show her rapid development under trainer Shane McGuigan again as she marches towards her first title.

Hard-hitting prospect Azim (4-0, 3 KO’s) and his brother Adam – who also both train under McGuigan – are two of the most highly-touted sibling talents in world boxing. Hassan has two first round KO’s from his four wins and aims to make it a knockout hat-trick as he continues to blaze a trail in the welterweight division. 

Also confirmed for the card are heavyweight Steve Robinson (4-1, 3 KO’s) and super-welterweight April Hunter (5-1), training partner of middleweight champion Savannah Marshall. 

“Caroline Dubois, Hassan Azim and Brad Rea are three of the best young talents in British boxing today and each of them has the potential to go all the way and become a global superstar in this sport. With an undercard showcasing the future of British boxing and a main event which will make waves in the heavyweight division, Manchester on 2 July is shaping up to be one of the best cards of 2022,” said Ben Shalom, BOXXER founder and CEO.

BOXXER: Fury v Hunter is a world-class event presented by BOXXER in association with official partners bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE and Village Hotels. 

Fury and Hunter headline the card in a high-stakes WBA World Title Eliminator which will send the winner forward for a shot at the world championship currently held by WBA World Champion Trevor Bryant, who faces British challenger Daniel Dubois in the US this Saturday.

Tickets are on sale now at boxxer.com. Prices from just £50




A NEW ERA BEGINS: BEN WHITTAKER WILL MAKE PRO DEBUT CAREER ON FURY-HUNTER CARD 

London, England – (1 June 2022) – British boxing’s newest star Ben Whittaker will launch his professional career on the big stage when he features on the undercard of the Hughie Fury-Michael Hunter WBA World Heavyweight Title Eliminator on Saturday 2nd July at the AO Arena Manchester, live and exclusively on Sky Sports.

Whittaker is the final member of the record-breaking Team GB Tokyo medallists to turn over from the amateur ranks and is one of the biggest and most exciting names in recent years to enter the pros.

Recognized internationally as a top prospect, ‘B£NZO’ made headlines around the world last month when he inked an exclusive long-term promotional agreement with BOXXER at a lavish promotional launch packed with media and VIP attendees.

Charismatic and talented, Whittaker has stated an aim to become a global star and one of Britain’s all-time greats as he prepares to make his professional debut in the dynamic and competitive light-heavyweight division.

Guiding the 24-year-old Wolverhampton native on his professional path will be trainer SugarHill Steward, trainer of heavyweight megastar Tyson Fury. He has compared Whittaker to the legendary Roy Jones Jr, noting that both turned professional after achieving Olympic glory. 

“Everything that’s happened so far has led me to this and I have been waiting my whole life for this moment. I am just so excited to get in the ring and show you all what you already know I can do, I am counting down the days,” said Whittaker.

BOXXER Founder and CEO Ben Shalom said, “I’m very excited ahead of the professional debut of Ben Whittaker and believe that we’re going to witness the start of a very special journey in his career on July 2nd. We’ve never seen so much interest in a fighter announcement. 

Adam Smith, Sky Sports Head of Boxing Development Adam Smith, said, “A brilliant main event is supported by the highly anticipated professional beginning for Olympian starlet Ben Whittaker. This is a huge moment for Sky, Boxxer, 258, his trainer SugarHill and Ben’s family. We think he’s got the mix of skill, strength and personality to become a massive star in the sport. With a stacked card featuring our other emerging talent, this should be a real summer sizzler on Sky Sports!”

BOXXER: Fury v Hunter is presented by BOXXER in association with official partners bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE and Village Hotels

Registration for the Exclusive Ticket Pre-Sale is now open at BOXXER.com

Registered fans will have first access to the best tickets at least 24 hours before they go on sale to the public and will receive an exclusive discount on all tickets.

Tickets are priced at £50, £75, £100, £150, £250

A ticket for the BOXXER event will grant access to AO Manchester Arena from 17:30 for the duration of the evening. Tickets will subsequently grant free access to the Hatton v Barrera show by Europa Concerts which will begin after BOXXER’s event has concluded.