By: Ste Rowen
Mention the words ‘boxing’ and ‘tournament’ together in the same sentence to boxing fans and most would meet the idea with derision, but despite it still being almost impossible to get the best of the best in the ring together – Wold Boxing Super Series excluded – mainly domestic tournament formats have got hardcores and new fans alike, interested in the sport, and this Friday the inaugural MTK’s featherweight ‘Golden Contract Tournament’ gets going at the famous, York Hall in London.
The tournament, like many creations in boxing, will begin in a quarter-final format, and the eight men only found out who they’ll be fighting this fight week.
Friday’s featherweight scheduled 10-round bouts will be as follows;
Tyrone McCullagh, 13-0 (6KOs) vs. Razak Najib 11-3 (2KOs)*A late replacement for Carlos Araujo
Jazza Dickens, 27-3 (11KOs) vs. Carlos Ramos, 11-1 (7KOs)
Hairon Socarros, 22-0-3 (14KOs) vs. Ryan Walsh, 24-2-2 (11KOs)
Leigh Wood, 22-1 (12KOs) vs. David Oliver Joyce, 11-0 (8KOs)
As it stands, it’s unclear who the favourite for the eight-man knockout format is, but despite his relative professional inexperience, former amateur standout, David Joyce of Ireland, could be the man to watch both on Friday and as the tournament progresses, assuming the 32-year-old makes his way past Commonwealth featherweight champion, Leigh Wood.
The eventual winner of the tournament will snatch up a five-fight contract with a promoter, most likely to be Matchroom.