Top Teesside amateur Joe Maphosa aims to kick off what could be a career-defining couple of weeks with a win in his World Series of Boxing debut tonight.
The Middlesbrough ABC light-flyweight makes his WSB bow for the British Lionhearts against the Cuba Domadores in their final home match at London’s Copper Box Arena.
He faces Argilagos Perez in his first-ever five-round bout before heading to Liverpool next weekend as the top 48kg seed in the final stages of the England Boxing Elite National Championships.
The GB selectors will decide who they want to keep in the full-time GB Podium Squad at Sheffield after the Championships, and who they want to promote from the part-time development squad which Joe is currently a part of.
And with so much at stake the 20-year-old is ready to rise to the challenge, starting with his WSB opener as a replacement for the injured Harvey Horn.
“This is a big opportunity and a really good sharpener ahead of the ABAs,” he said.
“If I can win them both it will put me in a good position to get onto the full-time Podium Squad, and that’s what I’ve always wanted.”
Maphosa thinks his style should gel with Perez from the footage he has seen, and he is planning to take him out of his comfort zone.
“He’s a relaxed, slick boxer so we’re pretty similar in that respect,” he said.
“It should be a good tactical battle. The coaches have told me to put it on him, get my feet in quickly and box at my own pace and don’t let him dictate. That’s what I’m looking to do.”
Darlington ABC middleweight Troy Williamson also makes his WSB debut tonight after Joe opens proceedings.
Live coverage will be screened on ESPN from 8pm, and a live stream is also available via the worldseriesboxing.com website.
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