Bleacher Report Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 http://ringnews24.com/images/pixel.gifAs the appeal of the Prizefighter format continues to grow, this Thursday brings with it another clash of titans from both the United Kingdom and United States in a battle of transatlantic proportions. Three-weight former world champion James Toney heads the billing for the U.S. visitors, while York Hall should put on a sizeable home cheer for the British quartet of Larry Olubamiwo, Matt Legg, Tom Little and 2010 Prizefighter winner Michael Sprott. For the Americans, Toney is joined by Damian Wills, former world cruiserweight challenger Brian Minto and Jason Gavern, making for a very seasoned average age of 38 in their camp. http://ringnews24.com/images/pixel.gif However, the evening is headlined by the third professional fight of Anthony Joshua, who goes up against Croatian Hrvoje Kisicek in a bid to maintain the early traction he's gained in recent months. That being said, the entire evening promises to be a slugfest of heavyweight action as eight fighters go to war in search of the £32,000 Prizefighter pot at the end, with an additional £2,000 being dished out for each knockout of the night. Date: Thursday, Nov. 14 Venue: York Hall, Bethnal Green, London Time: 8 p.m. local time (GMT)/3 p.m. ET Viewing Info: Sky Sports 1 (HD) All Eyes on Toney http://ringnews24.com/images/pixel.gif He may be 45 years of age, but there was an inevitable spark of interest after it was announced that James "Lights Out" Toney would feature on the billing of this year's Prizefighter heavyweights event. With 74 career wins, 45 of which have come by KO, it's only right that the veteran be considered a major contender for the title in a competition largely noted for its knockout potential. http://ringnews24.com/images/pixel.gif Speaking earlier this week, UK Prizefighter participant Tom "Not So" Little stated that he hopes to come up against Toney in the competition's first round, per BoxRec News: I want old man James Toney in the first round. He was disrespectful and rude to the UK boxers, barely acknowledging us and wanting his own changing room away from all other boxers. Give me Grandpa James in round one and I will make him pay for what he said and is saying about us UK boys. It's an admirable sign of confidence from the 26-year-old, who's coming off the back of a loss to Tom Dallas and hasn't yet claimed a professional knockout. Joshua's Run Set to Continue Despite all the fuss being made over the Prizefighter competition, Joshua's career progress should be the main storyline at Bethnal Green, with the Olympic gold medallist set to take the third step of his pro tenure. http://ringnews24.com/images/pixel.gif The 24-year-old heavyweight has so far been praised for his superb conditioning but is yet to go past the second round of a professional fight, stopping his bouts against Emanuele Leo and Paul Butlin in that order. The youngster is still going through the "stepping-stone" phase of his career and has two more fights lined up in 2013 after Thursday's matchup but should nonetheless be a fascinating watch at every turn, with the quality of opposition slowly throwing new challenges at him. Joshua is joined on the card by his cousin and rising cruiserweight hopeful Ben Ileyemi, who faces Moses Matovu in his second pro fight. Read more Boxing news on BleacherReport.com More... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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