'The Big Cheese' is chasing European glory, live on Sky Sports Arena, Saturday, 7.30pm
Wednesday 30 January 2019 16:58, UK
Ted Cheeseman has the chance to become our latest European super-welterweight champion in the first Sky Sports Fight Night Live of the year.
'The Big Cheese' will top the bill at The O2, London, on Saturday night, to set the British boxing ball rolling for 2019.
"These are the fights I need. I'm pushing on and I'm hoping to go all the way."
'The Big Cheese' has taken care of all comers so far, with his non-stop style and growing smartness seeing him step up, fight after fight. Carson Jones, Paul Upton and Asinia Byfield were supposed to trouble him in 2018, but the Bermondsey boy now wants to move up again. There is a rivalry building up in the super-welterweight scene, between him and Anthony Fowler, and Cheeseman knows he can get the first blow in by becoming European champion.
"Winning in England is going to give us more than just talk and give us more possibilities at world level."
Sergio Garcia not only shares the same name as the former Masters champion and six-time Ryder Cup winner, but is a European success himself. The undefeated Spaniard picked up the continental strap in September and is relishing not only his first defence, but but his first professional fight on foreign soil. Few will have seen him fight but with former middleweight supremo Sergio Martinez behind him, he could well be the new 'Maravilla'.
Europe has been the talking point for the last few weeks, but this title has always played a major part in a British boxer's progress. Matthew Macklin, Ryan Rhodes, Jamie Moore and others have used the blue super-welterweight belt to their advantage and Cheeseman will want to do the same.
Fighters should never look past their next opponent but if Cheeseman comes through this, he will be greeted by his super-welterweight rival, Fowler. They have both been back and forth on social media, but the Liverpudlian will be ringside on Saturday night, so will Cheeseman get his vote of confidence, even if he does win the European? We will find out.
Lawrence Okolie has not boxed since his Wembley Stadium win over Matty Askin and takes on Hungary's Tamas Lodi, knowing he needs to win the fans back with a slicker and sharper performance. Jake Ball and Craig 'Spider' Richards were supposed to meet in September so their light-heavyweight clash has been coming for months, and Felix Cash can also pick up one of the prestigious domestic belts as he meets Rasheed Abolaji for the vacant Commonwealth Middleweight title.
The Sky Sports team will be following every punch and analysing every fight, with recently-crowned world champion Charlie Edwards joining Anna Woolhouse, Johnny Nelson, Matthew Macklin and David Coldwell at The O2. If you cannot catch the live action, follow it on our live blog on the Sky Sports App and at skysports.com/boxing.
Watch The O2 cracker with Ted Cheeseman, Lawrence Okolie, Felix Cash, Jake Ball and Craig Richards all in action, live on Sky Sports Arena, Saturday, from 7.30pm.
