A WELCOME FROM EDDIE HEARN HELLO EVERYONE AND WELCOME TO ARENA BIRMINGHAM FOR THE BEGINNING OF AN EXCITING NEW SEASON FOR MATCHROOM BOXING, SKY SPORTS AND DAZN. It s brilliant to be back after a very short break over the summer, we ve got a packed schedule right through autumn and winter and what better place to start than right here in Birmingham. Birmingham is a great boxing city and I m delighted to be bringing such a huge event back to the second city. Amir Khan returns and although there is a lot of talk about massive fights on the horizon he must come through this test against Samuel Vargas in style. It s fantastic to see Amir back again after a blistering performance at the Echo Arena in Liverpool against Phil Lo Greco. We re still catching our breath from that one, but this time I think a much more serious challenge is in front of him that he has prepared for intensely with his new trainer Joe Goossen. One thing is, without a doubt, that if Amir Khan wins on Saturday night, his next fight will be a super fight at a stadium. Manny Pacquiao, Kell Brook and the rest of the Welterweight division will be watching Khan s fight with Vargas with great interest. But first he has to deal with a very tough challenge in WBA number 9 ranked Canadian based Columbian Samuel Vargas, who comes full of confidence and is predicting an early night for Amir. One thing you know with Amir Khan is that he s always going to excite you and I can t wait for our main event. Chief support is a fantastic rematch of the Fight of the Year contender between Jason Welborn and Tommy Langford. These two went to war at the Walsall Town Hall back in May and if the rematch is anything like their first battle then we are all in for a massive treat. Local man Sam Eggington needs to come through his test against Hassan Mwakinyo tonight if he is to secure some huge fights on the horizon in the Super-Welterweight division, he looks like a new fighter at 154lbs. Scott Fitzgerlad faces the toughest test of his career to date when he clashes with unbeaten Craig Morris. Scott won t be overlooking Morris but I know he has an eye on a fascinating match-up with ex England team mate Anthony Fowler. There s more local action on the undercard as Ryan Kelly takes on Kelcie Ball for the Midlands Area Super-Welterweight title, and Birmingham s Gamal Yafai looks to get back on track and move towards further title fights in the Super- Bantam division. Rounds have been hard to come by for Geordie Lightweight machine Lewis Ritson, he takes on tough Nicaraguan Oscar Amador with a European title shot against Francesco Patera pending on October 13 at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle. An array of rising talent including Qais Ashfaq and Osman Aslam feature on the card and what an amazing experience it will be to box on the undercard of a former unified World Champion at a packed-out arena. We would like to thank Arena Birmingham, William Hill, JD Sports, StubHub, Sky Sports, DAZN and all of tonight s officials. WE HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. Interviews: Scott Hammerton & Daniel Barnard Design: Freeze Creative Group (jim@freeze-design.co.uk) Photographs: Lawrence Lustig, Mark Robinson and Action Images Master of Ceremonies: David Diamante and Michael Buffer
AMIR KHAN KHAN - FANS WILL SEE ANOTHER EXPLOSIVE PERFORMANCE IN BIRMINGHAM Khan is back in action following his blistering return to the ring in April in Liverpool where he destroyed Phil Lo Greco in just 39 seconds after nearly two years out of action. The former unified Super- Lightweight ruler knows he will need to beat Canadian based Columbian Vargas in style if he is to secure a shot at Welterweight World honours later this year. Fans will see another explosive performance on Saturday, said Khan. I didn t get a chance to show everyone what I had been working on during my time out against Lo Greco. But you saw the punch power, accuracy, speed and timing and you ll see it again against Vargas. I always make it exciting, it s going to be another big bang. Vargas is another step and move in the right direction. This will take me on to the bigger and better fights
and that s with no disrespect to Sammy. He s going to come to win, he knows by beating me it propels him on to a whole new level. It s one of them fights I have to be very smart in. I need to win and also look good doing so. There s big fights in the pipeline but I can t afford to look that far ahead, Vargas has my full attention. Vargas is a tough and well-schooled fighter but if he wants to fight on the inside I ll be more than ready for it. He has shared the ring with some top Welterweights including Danny Garcia and Errol Spence Jr. We re going to be prepared for whatever he brings. I m a totally different fighter now to the old Amir Khan. Khan fights for the second time under vastly experienced trainer Joe Goossen and is confident that the extra time he has spent in the gym with Goossen will benefit him greatly come fight night. The bond is growing with Joe, we ve had much more time to work on things in this camp. We ve been improving what Joe sees as my strengths and also the mistakes I can make in a fight so we re building to become the full package. Last time we just really set the game plan given the short notice we had together but for this one we ve had the full camp behind us. Camp has been very hard. It s so hot out here so making weight is not a problem. But training in this temperature is difficult. We spar 10-12 rounds with 30 second breaks with high intensity training around it so come fight night, I ll be more than ready.
SAMUEL VARGAS VARGAS WARNS KHAN - IF I TOUCH HIM ON THE CHIN, HE S GOING DOWN Samuel Vargas says he has the power to knockout Amir Khan when the pair collide at Arena Birmingham on Saturday evening. Vargas is ranked number 9 in the WBA and knows that a win over the former unified World Champion will rocket his name into World title contention in the Welterweight division. The 29-year-old Canadian based Columbian doesn t believe that Khan managed to shake off any ring rust in his first round destruction of Phil Lo Greco in April and has warned the UK favourite to prepare for a punishing battle. If I touch him on the chin, he s going down, said Vargas. That s a guarantee. I m sure it s going to be a hostile territory, but I ll impose my will on him. He s an old man. He s been hurt before and he s been stopped many times. I just have to land one punch on his chin, left or right hand. His feet will go all over the place and if he s still there I ll hit him again and again. It s there, everyone knows it s there. If he s expecting another 39 second blow out then he s going to be in for a big shock. He s been stopped really badly a couple of times, so we know it s always there and we have 36 minutes to do it. Genetically, we re not supposed to receive that much punishment and get back up. Your body can only take so much before it gives out. Maybe this is the fight for him. He s older, he s received a lot of punishment, he s got a lot of mileage on him, so I just have to go out there and expose him. Vargas has fought both Errol Spence Jr and Danny Garcia, losing to both. He will be looking to make it third time lucky when he takes on another elite fighter in Khan next month, who he feels he is being overlooked by. I ve been in there with the best, obviously I didn t get the results that I wanted but those defeats have been my biggest lessons. I work hard and I sacrifice a lot. I m just a regular guy that decided not to quit and not to give up, to get up and to keep on going and here I am. That s why I was given this opportunity. All of the pressure is on him. I just need to let him know that he is the smaller man and let him know that I m dictating the pace of the fight. This is all or nothing for me. It s either win this fight or win this fight. I have no choice. For him it s just like, I need to get through this guy and then I get the big fight. That s how he sees it. For me this is everything.
SAM EGGINGTON EGGINGTON: I M READY FOR THE BIG FIGHTS AT 154LBS! Sam Eggington says he is ready to take on the biggest names in the 154lbs division. A revived Eggington has made short work of his opponents since moving up to Super-Welter and knows that a win in his native Birmingham tonight could potentially lead to the careerdefining fights he desires. The Savage stepped up to the plate at short notice to face Brandon Cook on the undercard of Dillian Whyte vs. Joseph Parker at The O2 in July only for an injury in sparring to scupper his plans. He will be looking to put the heartbreak of missing out on the Cook fight behind him when he takes on Hassan Mwakinyo over ten rounds this evening. The Brandon Cook fight falling through was a massive disappointment, revealed Eggington. It was really hard to get back into the gym so soon after, but this is boxing and these things happen. My fight in Birmingham was always planned, it was supposed to be a big fight but it is what it is. There s some big fights in the pipeline that could change my career and my life in general. We ll push on from this, we ll get a good win and see what s next. I ve been waiting for a big fight for a while now and I m ready to prove that I belong with the best fighters in the 154lbs division. Moving up to Super-Welterweight has given me even more energy to grind down my opponents and do damage to them. I m feeling fitter and stronger and I ll be looking to put on a show for the Brummie support tonight.
TOMMY LANGFORD LANGFORD: I M PUTTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT Tommy Langford has vowed to put the record straight when he rematches Jason Welborn for the British Middleweight title. The local rivals went to war over twelve rounds in a British Boxing Board of Control nominated Fight of the Year contender back in May at Walsall Town Hall, with Welborn wrestling the Lord Lonsdale belt from Langford via a shock split decision. Langford, 29, was widely expected to win having already seen off his mandated opponent Jack Arnfield at Manchester Arena in February, but admits mistakes were made in the build up to their first meeting. The truth is I probably got a big too big for my boots, said Langford. I ll hold my hands up, I overlooked him last time. Fair play to Jason, he made it in to his type of fight which distracted me and put me off my game plan. I got it severely wrong. It s not good enough just admitting that you got it wrong, you have to realise why you got it wrong. The reality is I looked past him and paid the price. Thankfully we got the rematch straight away and I m looking forward to putting the record straight and showing people what I m really about. You ve got to give Welborn credit, he fought the right fight for him. It was a full on tear up for the twelve rounds. I m 100% focused on winning my belt back, I m not looking past it. It doesn t matter how I m going to win, I know I will win. There was a lot that went wrong last time, we ve identified some technical aspects of my game and have been improving on that for this camp. I ve got to get back to my boxing and use my feet a lot more this time around. Former Commonwealth and WBO Intercontinental Champion Langford knows that big fights lie ahead should he regain the British title and insists that he will not be making the same mistake twice when he gets in the ring with Welborn on Saturday. This rematch is on the big stage, which is where I feel like I belong, he added. There s no getting away from the fact it s a big fight for us both and the winner will go on from here. I was so proud to win and defend the British title, it hurt a lot to see him lift it. I m not thinking about the future, I ve made that mistake before. Even thinking about the day after the fight on Sunday 9th September is too far ahead all my focus is on Saturday night when that bell goes.
JASON WELBORN WELBORN: THIS IS THE END OF TOMMY LANGFORD! Jason Welborn says Tommy Langford s career will be over if he loses again in a rematch for the Middleweight Lord Lonsdale belt. Welborn outgunned Langford in a British Boxing Board of Control nominated Fight of the Year contender back in May at Walsall Town Hall. Langford went into their first meeting as the Champion and clear favourite with Welborn out at 7/1 with the bookies. Those odds were turned on their head though as the WBC International Silver Champion recorded a shock split-decision victory. I m confident at the end of the day, said Welborn. I deserved to win British title and I know that I can beat Tommy Langford again. I ve trained even harder for this rematch and if I do what I did last time then I know that I ll win. He s got an excuse, he said that he didn t prepare properly last time and he looked past me. He s gone back to the drawing board, our side hasn t. We ve just got to turn up, get that win and do what I normally do. This is a brilliant bill here in Birmingham and it s going to bring the best out of me. I m ready to go 12 rounds at a solid pace, I ve put my body through hell. He s had his time, this is my time now. This is the end of Tommy Langford, I m telling you straight. Langford will be desperate to even things up and get the belt back. He will be hungry so I can t switch off and I know exactly what I have to do to keep my belt. That said I m really confident. Langford struggles with fighters like myself and as long as my engine is as good as last time and it will be I can t see anything other than another Welborn win.
LEWIS RITSON RITSON: IF IT ENDS EARLY IT GOES EARLY, I M NOT HOLDING BACK! Lewis Ritson says he won t be holding back when he takes on Nicaragua s Oscar Amador over eight rounds. The Geordie Lightweight ace has a pending European title shot against Francesco Patera on October 13 and plans to use Saturday s fight against Amador as the ideal warmup. We re using this as almost a topclass spar, said Ritson. I ve got a big fight coming up in October, so this is a continuation of training camp. I say that with respect, because it only takes one punch but I m confident I ll get the job done and then it s all eyes on October 13. I ve blasted the recent opponents out there early so the idea is to maybe go a couple of rounds, but if it ends early it goes early. I m not going to be holding back. We ve had a few opponents lined up that have changed but that comes with the boxing game. I ll have to be careful and ensure I don t get any head clashes. The Sandman is the talk of the Tyneside after producing a series of stunning displays to win the British Lightweight crown outright and believes he can go all the way with the support of a city behind him. The support is building which is great to see, last time out in Newcastle was special. If I keep winning then who knows how far we can go. I ve got more to my game than what I ve shown in my recent fights, as you go through the levels you ll see there s different aspects to my overall approach. The plan is to keep busy, there s exciting plans to potentially box in America before the turn of the year after Patera So there s plenty of motivation there. Three wins before the year is out then 2019 is looking very exciting. I want to see how far I can go and there s only one way to find out, I m climbing the World rankings now so I want to keep chipping away.
SCOTT FITZGERALD FITZGERALD TARGETS DOMESTIC SHOWDOWN WITH FOWLER Scott Fitzgerald is keen for a match-up with fellow rising star Anthony Fowler, should he come through his clash with Craig Morris on Saturday. A fight against The Machine has been welcomed by the Preston man, who wants to work his way into title contention after 10 wins, and would even travel to Fowler s hometown venue. Fowler called for a showdown with his former Team England teammate after stopping Dublin s Craig O Brien at The O2 in July, and Fitzgerald is happy to oblige him. The 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist believes he would beat Fowler with his superior speed and ring intelligence. Hopefully the fight with Fowler is going to get made sooner rather than later, said Fitzgerald. Any time before the end of the year, and anywhere. I m happy to fight in Liverpool, the Echo Arena, if that s what makes sense. Whoever wins the fight is going to be propelled onwards, so I want that fight because I know I can win, and that s what I plan on doing. He s a strong lad and he can punch, as can I. I just think I m a bit faster, and I think I ve got a better boxing brain than him. He s very aggressive yeah, but I think I can use that against him. Fitzgerald faces potentially his toughest opponent yet in Morris, who has won ten of his twelve contests, stopping three of his opponents. I can t look past Craig Morris, he added. This is a big stepup in itself and I can t overlook him. All of my focus is on Craig and then we can talk about the bigger fights. It s a huge bill in Birmingham with Amir Khan topping it, so I m looking forward to it.
GAMAL YAFAI YAFAI: THE MCDONNELL LOSS HAS MADE ME A BETTER FIGHTER Gamal Yafai is determined to show that his loss to Gavin McDonnell has turned him into a better fighter. McDonnell handed a first defeat to the younger brother of WBA Super- Flyweight king Kal Yafai at the FlyDSA Arena in March. Birmingham-born Yafai says he has learnt a lot from that loss and will look to put on a show for his home crowd before targeting title fights later in the year. Training has gone well for this camp, I m raring to go and looking forward to getting out there and doing the business, said Yafai. My opponent is a young kid, he ll come out and try knock my head off but I m there to hit him back and get the win. It s all about getting the win in this one, I need to clear it then we can sit down and look at the options. I had a setback earlier this year against McDonnell, but that s made me hungrier to bounce back and get to the level I want to be. I know I m better than what I ve shown in my recent fights and now it s all about showing it to the masses. I d like to get back out this side of Christmas I ve been on the go non-stop training so if I can t I ll rest up and then we go again. Gamal is determined to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Kal by winning a World title of his own and harbours dreams of turning Birmingham into a hometown fortress. My brother is an inspiration of course, being World Champion and representing our City so proud. I want to match those achievements, that s why I want to be back in the big fights and get the chance to progress and move on sooner rather than later. Kal might be fighting out in America around November time so I wouldn t mind jumping on that card. I ll be out there in camp with him anyway so hopefully that works out. Having big time boxing back in Birmingham is great to see, if the home fighters can keep doing the business then there s no reason why we won t be back sooner rather than later.
QAIS ASHFAQ LEEDS, ENGLAND - 2-0 - FIGHTING GARY AUSTIN IN A 6 ROUND SUPER-BANTAMWEIGHT CONTEST I ve been working hard in the gym. It s my third fight, I m amazed I m here right now. It s my second Amir Khan undercard which is obviously a great experience. I ve been staying in the gym, learning the trade. I wouldn t say that my last two fights had that pro style but we ve been working hard on it and I m looking forward to showing everyone on Saturday night. I m just getting better and better as the time goes on. KELCIE BALL DORDOAN, ENGLAND - 9-0, 2 KO S - FIGHTING RYAN KELLY FOR THE MIDLANDS ARENA SUPER-WELTERWEIGHT TITLE I d just like to thank Matchroom again for getting me on the bill. Ryan has been here before, but he didn t get the win. I don t believe he is going to get the win this time. We ve sparred numerous rounds and we know each other really well. I m coming to win. I m game as anything. I ve had a good camp and I can t wait to get in there and do the business. Ryan has had his shot before and it didn t go to plan so if that happens for him again, he s not really got anywhere to go. I m just going up, I can t wait to get it on. RYAN KELLY BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - 11-1, 5 KOS - FIGHTING KELCIE BALL FOR THE THE MIDLANDS AREA SUPER-WELTERWEIGHT TITLE I think it s time to prove that last time out wasn t a good night for me. I ve been training really hard since that loss and it s time to put things right. I ve sold a load of tickets. There s a lot of people coming down to support me on the night so I m looking to box out my skin. I ve got a game opponent in front of me in Kelcie Ball and I m looking forward to doing a job.
(BOLTON) 12 X 3 MINS WELTERWEIGHT CONTEST AMIR KHAN VS SAMUEL VARGAS 10 X 3 MINS SUPER-WELTERWEIGHT CONTEST SAM EGGINGTON VS HASSAN MWAKINYO (BIRMINGHAM) (TANZANIA) 12 X 3 MINS BRITISH MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP JASON WELBORN VS TOMMY LANGFORD (TIVIDALE) (BIRMINGHAM) 8 X 3 MINS LIGHTWEIGHT CONTEST LEWIS RITSON VS OSCAR AMADOR (NEWCASTLE) (NICARAGUA) 10 X 3 MINS SUPER-WELTERWEIGHT CONTEST SCOTT FITZGERALD VS CRAIG MORRIS (PRESTON) (LUDLOW) 10 X 3 MINS MIDLANDS AREA SUPER-WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP RYAN KELLY VS KELCIE BALL (BIRMINGHAM) (DORDON) 8 X 3 MINS SUPER-BANTAMWEIGHT CONTEST GAMAL YAFAI VS BRAYAN MAIRENA (BIRMINGHAM) (NICARAGURA) 6 X 3 MINS SUPER-BANTAMWEIGHT CONTEST QAIS ASHFAQ VS GARY AUSTIN (LEEDS) (LIVERPOOL) 6 X 3 MINS SUPER-BANTAMWEIGHT OSMAN ASLAM VS JACK SUMMERS (BOLTON) (WEST BROMWICH) 4 X 3 MINS CRUISERWEIGHT CONTEST SHAKAN PITTERS VS IMANTAS DAVIDAITIS (BIRMINGHAM) (LITHUANIA) 4 X 3 MINS SUPER-WELTERWEIGHT CONTEST STEVEN DONNELLY VS MIGUEL AGUILAR (BALLYMENA) (BARCELONA) 6 X 3 MINS SUPER-WELTERWEIGHT KIERON CONWAY VS GINO KANTERS (NORTHAMPTON) (HOLLAND) 4 X 3 MINS SUPER-LIGHTWEIGHT (TORONTO, CANADA) SEAN MCCOMB VS LESTER CANTILLANO (BELFAST) (BARCELONA)