Ghanaian boxer set to hand British boxer step up in class

Ghanaian boxer Isaac Quartey is set to give Jamie Cox his toughest test yet when the Swindon southpaw competes in his 10th professional fight next month.

Unbeaten Cox has been pencilled in to fight Quartey, who has twice fought in a Commonwealth light-welterweight title elimnator, and will provide a step up in class for the 22-year-old.

Quartey’s record boasts four wins and four defeats along with one draw in his last fight, a Commonwealth title eliminator, against Emmanuel Lartei Lartey.

The Ghanaian has been pencilled in to fight welterweight Cox subject to promoter Frank Warren’s approval.

Fellow light-welterweight Barrie Jones, on the same bill as Cox on February 13 at Swindon’s Oasis Leisure Centre, has also been matched and faces Newport boxer Jay Morris.

Jones, from Ferndale South Wales, fought Morris back in 2007 winning in four rounds and will be confident of another victory and bouncing back after a narrow defeat against former WBA light-welterweight champion Souleymane M’Baye.

Jones has fought some of the same opponents as Cox and has had an unsuccessful shot at the British title, losing to the impressive Kell Brook.

Despite losing his last three fights Jones is an exciting prospect and is expected to bounce back in Swindon.

Headline boxer, Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly, will fight Ghanaian James Obede Toney, who has lost just once in his 27-fight career.

Cleverly’s divisional rival Dean Francis, the British champion, takes on Ayitey Powers for the second time in his career in a fight over eight rounds. Francis beat Powers, who has also lost against Cleverly, in nine rounds back in 2006.

The show is being promoted by Swindon boxing promoter Keith Mayo’s KM Promotions and is his second professional show. It will also be screened live on Sky Sports.

Elsewhere, local boxers Marlon Reid fights Sherman Alleyne in a four-round middleweight bout and heavyweight Ben Harding takes on Prince George Akrong, also over four rounds.

Source: swindonadvertiser