Gary Davies and Matthew Edmonds meet on Friday in front of the Sky Sports cameras for the vacant British bantamweight title.
Davies given extra time off work to boost attempts to win Lonsdale belt
Gary Davies and Matthew Edmonds will be looking to hit the big time when they do battle for the vacant British bantamweight title,
live on Sky Sports.
York Hall in Bethnal Green will be the venue for the domestic dust-up between two talented boxers who have had just 23 fights between them.
Davies maybe the slightly less experienced of the two having had 11 bouts but he will start as favourite having shocked Martin Power to earn his chance.
The 26-year-old from St Helens, who stopped the ex-Commonwealth champion inside two rounds in Dublin, has been given extra time off from his day job to focus his attentions on his ring career.
Prestigious event
"I'm over the moon (to be fighting for the British title), it means everything to me," he told
Sky Sports News.
"I believe it's the best title in the world to be honest - the most prestigious event.
"I trained really hard for that one (against Power) and came through with flying colours. But for this one I've been training three times a day because work has given me four weeks off for it.
"I work on a machine for 10 hours a day. Six o'clock in the morning until four o'clock, four days on then four off. It's hard going to get motivated to go the gym after that.
"Hopefully I can be a bit more financially secure if I win this belt. It means everything to me."
Winning run
However, Edmonds will be no easy task having won his last five fights since failing to take the Commonwealth strap from Jason Booth in just his seventh outing as a professional.
That defeat in 2007 was the second in succession for the man from Newport but he hopes his good run will continue so he can fulfil a boyhood dream.
"It's a dream come true. (To fight at) the home of boxing, York Hall in Bethnal Green," the 25-year-old said. "It's what I've been dreaming of since I was 10 years old when I started boxing.
"I've always wanted to be the British champion and win the Lonsdale belt. What a place to do it."
