Team Sauerland’s unbeaten Danish Heavyweight Kem Ljungquist (10-0, 5 KOs) will face the toughest test of his professional career when he squares off against experienced German southpaw Senad Gashi (20-3, 20 KOs) on Universum’s show on October 17th at the Mitsubishi Electric Hall in Düsseldorf.

30-year-old Ljungquist, who hails from Herlev in Denmark, was most recently in action on January 25th 2020 when he dominated Ukraine’s German Skobenko over eight rounds at the Work Your Champ Arena in Hamburg, Germany.

The 6”7 Danish southpaw returns to a happy hunting ground as he fights in Germany for the sixth time in his professional career, and he’s optimistic that the fans can expect a ferocious fight when he faces off against Gashi.

“The ring is my second home and I always look forward to the rush of a fight,” said Ljungquist. “The fans can expect to see a technical fighter with good overall skills and who’s in it to win it. I want to fight for titles and be in the mix.

“I’ve seen a bit of Gashi on YouTube and he looks good, but I want to take a step up in each fight and if Gashi is the next step I’ll take the fight gladly.

Nisse Sauerland, head of Team Sauerland and promoter of Ljungquist, believes stepping up a level will bring the best out of his undefeated heavyweight.

“Kem has a solid amateur career and has taken to the paid ranks with ease,” said Sauerland. “We want him to fight for titles and he needs to beat people like Senad Gashi to make that happen. We are looking forward to Kem coming through this fight and showing Denmark that they have a new hero to support.”

The event on October 17th, which is named ‘Back2Business’, will be headlined by IBO International Super Lightweight Champion Artem Harutyunyan as he defends his titles against Germany’s Timo Schwarzkopf. The action will be available to watch on ZDF in Germany.

Dave Allen stopped former world champion Lucas Browne with one left to the body in their scheduled 12-round heavyweight bout at The 02 Arena in London.

Allen landed a crushing shot that sent Browne to the canvas for the 10 count at 58 seconds of round three.

Allen is 17-4-2 with 14 knockouts.  Browne of Australia is 28-2.

After earning the biggest win of his career to date, ‘White Rhino’ said: “I want more now, I’m greedy. I proved I can punch at the highest level. He’s not what he once was but it’s a very good win. A very good win. This tops the Nick Webb night. The left hook to the body was beautiful.”

Dereck Chisora won a 10-round unanimous decision over Senad Gashi in a heavyweight bout.

Chisora landed some power punches throughout, where Gashi did little more then circle to his left.

Chisora won by scores of 100-90, 100-91 and 99-91 and is now 30-9. Gashi of Kosovo is 17-3.

Josh Kelly won a 10-round unanimous decision over Przemyslaw Runowski in a welterweight contest

In round 10, Kelly decked Runowski with a perfect left.

Kelly won by scores of 100-8 twice and 100-89 and is now 9-0. Runowksi is 17-1.

Joe Cordina remained undefeated by taking out Andy Townend in round six of their scheduled 12-round lightweight bout.

Cordina dropped Townend in round six with a flurry of power shots. Moments later, he sent Townend to a knee with an uppercut on the inside. Cordina finished the deal with a hard right and left that sent Townend to a knee again, and the fight was immediately stopped at 2:51.

Cordina of Cardiff, Wales is now 9-0 with seven knockouts. Townend is 22-5.

Conor Benn remained undefeated with a eight-round decision win over Josef Zahradnik in a welterweight bout.

Benn registered a knockdown in round seven with a body shot and won by a referee score of 80-71.

Benn is 14-0. Zahradnik is 10-3.

Senad Gashi has promised to go to war with Derek Chisora when the Heavyweight bad boys collide at The O2 in London this Saturday, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

Gashi (17-2, 17 KOs) returns to The O2 after he was stopped by Carlos Takam in seven rounds on the Whyte vs. Chisora 2 undercard in December. The heavy-hitting German hopes a win over Chisora will push his name towards title action in 2019.

“I definitely think I can win against Derek Chisora,” said Gashi. “I have visualised this fight in my head many times. I have fought in my head 10 times against Derek Chisora, nine times I won and one time I got disqualified.

“I’m going to make a great fight. I had a great training camp with my team and my coach. I’m going to give my best and the people are going to enjoy it for sure. I’m glad to be back in the UK and this time I’m going to get the win.

“I had just three days notice for my fight with Takam. But I had to grab the chance because it was a great opportunity to box in London against one of the best in the world and I had nothing to lose. I know I’m a warrior and I make every fight a war.”

Chisora vs. Gash is part of a huge night of boxing in the Capital.

Doncaster fan favourite Dave Allen (16-4-2, 13 KOs) faces the biggest night of his career against Australia’s former WBA Heavyweight World Champion Lucas Browne (28-1, 14 KOs), Sunderland’s ‘Pretty Boy’ Josh Kelly (8-0, 6 KOs) takes on the toughest opponent of his career to date in the form of unbeaten 17-0 Pole Przemyslaw Runowski and Ilford Welterweight prospect Conor Benn (13-0, 9 KOs) makes his long-awaited return to the ring against Czech Republic’s Josef Zahradnik (10-2, 5KOs), Brooklyn Middleweight prospect Nikita Ababiy (3-0, 3 KOs) makes his UK debut and Watford Bantamweight Shannon Courtenay fights for the second time as a pro after her debut win at the Copper Box Arena.

General Sale tickets for April 20 are available to purchase from StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk), The O2 (www.theo2.co.uk) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com)

John Harding Jr has credited boxing for turning his life around as he prepares to take part in his first major arena show on the undercard of Dave Allen vs. Lucas Browne and Derek Chisora vs. Senad Gashi at The O2 in London this Saturday.

The Brixton Super-Welterweight (6-0-1, 1 KO) grew up on an estate in South East London and found himself caught up in gang activity at a young age, resulting in lengthy spells in prison. Determined to change his lie for the better, the now 34-year-old decided to put his all into climbing the ladder in the pro ranks after his debut at York Hall in 2017.

Heavyweight World title contender Dillian Whyte took Harding Jr under his wing at the beginning of the year and set about securing his new charge a golden opportunity on Matchroom Boxing’s Easter weekend card in Greenwich – Harding Jr says he will always be grateful for ‘The Body Snatcher’s’ guidance and leadership.

“Everything is good,” Harding Jr told iFL TV. “I’m just here enjoying being on this stage. It felt weird but now I’m embracing it. I was always the person on the outside looking in, but now I’ve got my chance. I’ve been working closely with Dillian and to be in this position now is just amazing. I want to prove to people that hard work can pay off. I want everyone to look at my life and know that if they work hard they can change their ways as well. Boxing has given me a lifeline.

“I grew up on an estate in New Cross. On the estate you grew up in a brotherhood, so you grew up inheriting rival gang activities. We thought that hustling was the only way for us to move forward in life. Other people call it drug-dealing, for us it was just survival. That’s what we grew up around and thought was normal. I ran into the law a couple of times. I’ve spent probably around five and a half years of my life in prison. It’s very hard when you’re in that position as a young person.

“I always dreamt I’d be the one being interviewed one day. I used to watch these guys being interviewed on a secret little mobile phone in jail! This shows the power of vision and hard work. When I stepped out with nothing, I only had that vision in my head. I was quite big, 17 stone and muscly. Now look at me, I’m a Light-Middleweight floating like a butterfly!

“I just kept coming to the gym, training around guys like Richard Riakporhe. I was always in the shadows of those guys, training hard. Fast-forward a while and I bumped into Dillian Whyte, who’s looked out for me since. He saw my heart and he’s brought me close and that just shows me how much of a true person he is. For him to reach out and help someone like me has changed my life and helped others too.

“It’s never too late to change your life. Hard work always pays off. Dillian told me to work hard. He always emphasises working hard. Even when it was his birthday he was in the gym grinding and working all day. I can’t lie, this is big for me, but Dillian has told me to be grounded. He’s a workaholic, he doesn’t stop. Focus and hard work pays off and I’m the living proof of that.”

Harding Jr takes part in a huge night of boxing in the Capital.

Doncaster fan favourite Dave Allen (16-4-2, 13 KOs) faces the biggest night of his career against Australia’s former WBA Heavyweight World Champion Lucas Browne (28-1, 14 KOs), Derek Chisora (29-9, 21 KOs) clashes with Senad Gashi (17-2, 17 KOs) in his first fight under new trainer Dave Coldwell, Sunderland’s ‘Pretty Boy’ Josh Kelly (8-0, 6 KOs) takes on the toughest opponent of his career to date in the form of unbeaten 17-0 Pole Przemyslaw Runowski and Ilford Welterweight prospect Conor Benn (13-0, 9 KOs) makes his long-awaited return to the ring against Czech Republic’s Josef Zahradnik (10-2, 5KOs), Brooklyn Middleweight prospect Nikita Ababiy (3-0, 3 KOs) makes his UK debut and Watford Bantamweight Shannon Courtenay fights for the second time as a pro after her debut win at the Copper Box Arena.

General Sale tickets for April 20 are available to purchase from StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk), The O2 (www.theo2.co.uk) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com)

Derek Chisora says he would be open to fighting former undisputed Cruiserweight World Champion Oleksandr Usyk – should he come through his crunch Heavyweight clash with Senad Gashi at The O2 in London this Saturday, shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

Pound-for-pound star Usyk makes his Heavyweight debut against former Chisora foe Carlos Takam at the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland on May 25, and the Finchley man says Usyk’s switch to Heavyweight spells big trouble for the other members of the division.

“Usyk will be a nightmare for everybody,” said Chisora. “The moment he puts his weight on, he will be a nightmare. He has the punching power and the boxing skills, his movement will kill most Heavyweights. I think to win with that guy you might have to foul him a little bit, a couple of low blows!”

“Is he holding hand luggage or a massive suitcase of money? I love fighting – whoever wants it can have it. We do the deal, we sign, we get ready for it, we fight. Parker or I might go to watch Usyk – I don’t mind having some of that. I just want to fight. Most people are scared of fighting but, if I could fight every week, I would do.”

Chisora recently split with long-time coach Don Charles and is feeling upbeat after moving up to Yorkshire to train with Dave Coldwell at his gym in Rotherham alongside rising Featherweight talent Jordan Gill and two-time World Champion Jamie McDonnell.

“I like Don but it was time for a change,” added Chisora. “In the Takam fight, he (Coldwell) was on the other side and I could hear him shouting instructions, – and Tony (Bellew) told me it was a good move. He is making my feet move fast, everything move faster – I am feeling great benefits and everything is working out great.”

Chisora vs. Gashi is part of a huge night of boxing in the Capital.

Doncaster fan favourite Dave Allen (16-4-2, 13 KOs) faces the biggest night of his career against Australia’s former WBA Heavyweight World Champion Lucas Browne (28-1, 14 KOs), Sunderland’s ‘Pretty Boy’ Josh Kelly (8-0, 6 KOs) takes on the toughest opponent of his career to date in the form of unbeaten 17-0 Pole Przemyslaw Runowski and Ilford Welterweight prospect Conor Benn (13-0, 9 KOs) makes his long-awaited return to the ring, Brooklyn Middleweight prospect Nikita Ababiy (3-0, 3 KOs) makes his UK debut and Watford Bantamweight Shannon Courtenay fights for the second time as a pro after her debut win at the Copper Box Arena.

General Sale tickets for April 20 are available to purchase from StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk), The O2 (www.theo2.co.uk) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com)

Senad Gashi says Derek Chisora “doesn’t have a boxing brain” and has questioned whether the 35-year-old’s new trainer Dave Coldwell will have any impact on their clash at The O2 in London on April 20, shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

The Spain-based German heads into next week’s showdown with ‘WAR’ Chisora holding a record of 17 wins from 19 fights, with all 17 of those wins coming by way of knockout. He hopes another big KO win over the former British and Commonwealth Champion will propel his name towards Heavyweight title action.

“Derek Chisora is an old dog and it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks,” said Gashi. “Derek is a very experienced guy, he doesn’t have a boxing brain but his toughness and experience makes up for that. What I will say is he looks like he’s in the best shape of his life.

“We are two very different fighters but what we both share is lots of heart. We are both warriors deep down and I predict that this will be a fight that people will talk about for a very long time. He calls himself ‘WAR’ Chisora and it’s a war he’s going to get. People will love this fight.”

Gashi travelled to the UK to take on former World title challenger Carlos Takam at short notice last time out in December on the Whyte vs. Chisora 2 undercard. After a brave showing, he was eventually stopped by the French-Cameroonian in the seventh round, but ‘GachineGun’ is adamant there would have been a different outcome if he was given time to prepare properly.

“I had just three days’ notice for my fight with Takam. If I’d of had a full training camp I am confident I would have beaten him. I was fighting from instinct and my stamina wasn’t there. In the end I gassed out and you all saw what happened. I came to the fight without a coach and I decided my strategy 20 minutes before the fight started.

“I’ve had a full training camp this time and I’ve done my homework. I’m prepared and ready to get the win. I watch the round Whyte KO’d Chisora every day. I know that I’m able to give any fighter on the planet a hard night and I’ll show everyone the real Senad Gashi on April 20.”

Chisora vs. Gashi is part of a huge night of boxing in the Capital.

Doncaster fan favourite Dave Allen (16-4-2, 13 KOs) faces the biggest night of his career against Australia’s former WBA Heavyweight World Champion Lucas Browne (28-1, 14 KOs), Sunderland’s ‘Pretty Boy’ Josh Kelly (8-0, 6 KOs) takes on the toughest opponent of his career to date in the form of unbeaten 17-0 Pole Przemyslaw Runowski and Ilford Welterweight prospect Conor Benn (13-0, 9 KOs) makes his long-awaited return to the ring, Brooklyn Middleweight prospect Nikita Ababiy (3-0, 3 KOs) makes his UK debut and Watford Bantamweight Shannon Courtenay fights for the second time as a pro after her debut win at the Copper Box Arena.

General Sale tickets for April 20 are available to purchase from StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk), The O2 (www.theo2.co.uk) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com)

Dave Allen faces the biggest night of his career when he takes on former WBA World Champion Lucas Browne on a huge evening of Heavyweight action at The O2 in London on April 20, shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US, that sees Finchley bad boy Derek Chisora return to the ring against Senad Gashi after his FOTY contender with Dillian Whyte in December.

‘White Rhino’ is in the form of his life after notching successive stoppage wins over Nick Webb, Samir Nebo and Ariel Esteban Bracamonte in the second half of 2018. The Doncaster fans’ favourite rich vein of form began with a “life-changing” fourth round knockout win against Webb at The O2 in July and he hopes to make it three KO’s from three fights at the Greenwich venue next month.

Browne returns to the scene of his sole career loss to Dillian Whyte determined to redeem himself with a big knockout win over cult hero Allen. Since that loss the 28-1 Australian, who’s career-best win came against Ruslan Chagaev in 2016, has bounced back with three wins and he believes another victory on April 20 will fire his name back into the World mix.

“I have never trained so hard in my life,” said Allen. “I’m going to knock Browne spark out, I hit too hard for him. Even though there’s no animosity in the build-up, I want to punch him all over The O2 in to row Z.

“Lucas Browne isn’t the Lucas Browne who beat Chagaev, he’s a faded force. That being said he’s still very dangerous, he does have that power, but this fight is perfect for me. He’s a former World Heavyweight Champion. A win here puts me on the big stage, not the highest level, but within touching distance of a fight that would then put me there.

“To be at the top of the bill at The O2 means loads, the support is something special. I’m unbeaten at The O2 with two huge knockouts and I’m very confident in making it a treble.”

“I’m eager to redeem myself at The O2 and will be coming for a knockout,” said Browne. “I’m a fan of Dave, I have nothing bad to say about him and I’m looking forward to a good old-fashioned brawl on April 20. This is the fight for me to showcase who and what I am to the masses. It’s a blockbuster fight and I know Dave is a big crowd favourite but that will drive me on to silence the fans.

“I’m at the stage in my career where I need to be 100% serious, I’m getting too old to play around. The loss to Whyte was the kick in the butt that I needed and since then I’ve changed my promoter, team, training and general approach to boxing.”

Former World title challenger Chisora came sensationally close to beating Whyte in December. Going into the eleventh round of an exhilarating and brutal fight, Chisora was ahead on two of the judges’ scorecards only to be caught by a devastating left hook.

Having recently teamed up with highly-respected trainer Dave Coldwell, Chisora is feeling refreshed, revitalised and ready to take on any challenges in 2019.

“Six weeks ‘til I go back to WAR and boy I can’t wait!” said Chisora. “On Saturday 20th April I will be stepping into the ring at The O2 with fire in my soul, I have a point to prove and mission to continue!

“Parker b*tched out, he must have taken too many laxatives and sh*t himself. He wasn’t ready for the battle, he reckons he needed more time. Gashi has shown he is a true fighter, he is always ready to go to war when called. He showed this in December when he stepped in the ring with Takam on just one week’s notice and gave him a real fight. I’m not stupid, I know with six weeks’ notice in April Gashi will be a different animal.

“He is a wild horse, a loose cannon, he is coming to win but trust me, he won’t hear the final bell. I’m ready, we’ve stepped things up a gear working hard with Dave Coldwell. April 20th WAR Chisora will be back in London to show the Heavyweight division exactly why retirement wasn’t an option.”

Some of the best up-and-coming talent Britain has to offer get the chance to showcase their skills to the masses once again as Sunderland’s ‘Pretty Boy’ Josh Kelly takes on the toughest opponent of his career to date in the form of unbeaten 17-0 Pole Przemyslaw Runowski.

Cardiff’s ‘Welsh Wizard’ Joe Cordina picked up the Commonwealth Lightweight crown in his last outing against Sean Dodd and he steps up again on April 20 to take on Barnsley ‘KO Kid’ Andy Townend for the vacant Lord Lonsdale belt.

Ilford Welterweight Conor Benn makes his long-awaited return to the ring following a hand injury that kept him out of action since his first title win over Cedrick Peynaud in July, and ‘The Destroyer’ in promising another explosive performance as he looks to pick up where he left off.

“Runowski’s a solid opponent, unbeaten for a reason,” said Kelly. “They breed them tough in Eastern Europe but I’m ready to dismantle him and put on a show for everyone in the crowd and watching at home. It excites me every time I step through the ropes. This year is going to be massive if everything goes to plan. I’ve got to keep my feet firmly on the ground, continue to work and get the results.”

“I’m excited to be back at The O2 for this big Heavyweight double-header,” said Eddie Hearn. “Dave Allen has become a cult hero over the last year but this time he is in deep against former WBA World Champion Lucas Browne. Browne, who lost to Dillian Whyte at the same venue just under a year ago, has bounced back with three wins since and is looking for a shot at one of the big boys. For Dave, this is a dream chance to catapult himself into the big time in a vibrant Heavyweight market.

“Chisora returns after his FOTY contender with Dillian Whyte in December against the tough Senad Gashi. Gashi went to war with Takam in December on less than a week’s notice and this time he will be fully prepared in what I believe will be a very tough fight. One of the world’s biggest young talents Josh Kelly defends his WBA title against unbeaten Pole Przemyslaw Runowski and fellow Olympian Joe Cordina will challenge Andy Townend for the vacant British Lightweight title. Unbeaten 147lb star Conor Benn also returns to action following a hand injury as he hunts major domestic titles in 2019.”

David Haye of Hayemaker Promotions said: “On Saturday 20th April Hayemaker Promotions are excited to be back at The O2, the home of British Boxing. Once again working in partnership with Matchroom Boxing, we are looking forward to bringing fight fans an electric night of boxing with showreel knockout endings!

“Derek ‘WAR’ Chisora will be back, on a mission to show the fans exactly what he has in his armoury under new Head Trainer Dave Coldwell. Former WBA World Champion Lucas Browne is set to go toe-to-toe with Dave ‘White Rhino’ Allen and future World Welterweight Champion Josh Kelly is also ready to set the ring alight.”