Fight Week: Lewis Ritson vs Ohara Davies, Saturday, March 4 In Newcastle
Lewis Ritson vs Ohara Davies Tops Stacked North-East Bill
North-East fan favourite Lewis Ritson (23-2, 13 KOs) and London’s controversial Ohara Davies (24-2, 17 KOs) will collide on Saturday, March 4 at the 9,000-capacity Utilita Arena in Newcastle, England. Around 4,000 fans are expected in attendance with no TV details confirmed yet
Britain’s unbeaten Thomas Patrick Ward (33-0-1, 5 KOs) and US-based Uzbekestani Otabek Kholmatov (10-0, 9 KOs) will meet in a WBA-ordered final eliminator at Featherweight on the undercard.
Ward and Kholmatov are respectively the #1 and #2 ranked boxers for newly-crowned champion Mauricio Lara‘s world championship. Lara is represented with Matchroom who are trying to stage either a rematch with Leigh Wood or a trilogy with Josh Warrington next for the Mexican but the Ward-Kholmatov winner may get in the way
Whoever emerges victorious between Wood and Lara will be expected to make a mandatory defence against the Ward-Kholmatov winner.
The Uzbek turned professional just 15 months ago and has already accumulated ten professional outings. Kholmatov fought nine times in the last five months of 2021 and had just one bout in 2022 – a dominant 12-round decision win over 14-0 Andranik Grigorian.
Ward has been a professional for over ten years but still hasn’t fought for a world title despite being undefeated in 34 outings including a win over IBO champion Jazza Dickens. Ward, who Probellum represented, will look to capitalise against an inexperienced professional in Kholmatov and secure his much-awaited world title chance.
Former European, Commonwealth and British Bantamweight champion Lee McGregor (11-0-1, 9 KOs) will fight for the first time since a controversial and disappointing draw against Argentina’s Diego Alberto Ruiz in Feb 2022. The Scotsman returns to the ring against Burkina Faso’s Alexis Boureima Kabore (29-7-0, 8 KOs) as he moves up to Super Bantamweight.
Steven Cairns (4-0), Ben Rees (0-0-1), Nathan Forrest (2-0), Ewan Mackenzie (6-0) and Adam Cope (6-0) all make their ring returns whilst Callum Walton and Syed Shear debut in the paid ranks.
Also Read; Usyk vs Wilder Possible If Fury vs Usyk Undisputed Title Fight Doesn’t Materialise