LEE SELBY WORLD TITLE SHOT CONFIRMED
By Sam Jordan
Welsh featherweight Lee Selby has confirmed that his IBF world title shot against holder Evgeny Gradovich is set to take place at London’s O2 arena on April 25th.
Although the contest is yet to be formally announced, The IBF mistakenly announced the fight last week after initial papers were filed with them on behalf of Selby’s promoters Matchroom Sport and Top Rank who represent Gradovich.
Selby has now broken his silence on the subject however, confirming that he is set to face the Russian born boxer on UK soil, something which he is relishing.
DATE OF DESTINY
Speaking to iFL TV, Selby said “That’s it, April 25th. That was the date I had in my head anyway so I have been working. I’ve just sparred 10 rounds then so I’m ready.”
The Barry native set up his world title shot with a destructive display against previously undefeated Australian Joel Brunker last time out, with that contest also taking place at the O2.
On the night Selby produced a masterclass, eventually wearing down his opponent, before stopping him in the ninth round with a wicked left to the body, leaving Brunker crippled on the canvas.
The same outcome is also being predicted for this matchup too, with Selby certain that it will be him that forces the knockout. “My plan for this world title fight is to make a big statement. I’m not going out to win on points, I’m going to knock him out and send a message right through the division.”
WELSH MAYWEATHER
It is this kind of confidence and swagger which has earned Selby the nickname on these shores as ‘The Welsh Mayweather’. The similarities do not stop there though, Selby’s evasive style also resembles that of the American superstar, which makes any fight against the Welshman a tricky one for anyone in the division.
Selby’s charisma and style is what attracted promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom to sign him in the first place. Echoing Selby’s confidence ever since his move to Matchroom, Hearn is on record saying he would put his house on Selby becoming a world champion, something not every boxer in Hearn’s stable can boast.
In the two years or so that Selby and Hearn have worked together his career has gone from strength to strength. From struggling to sell out leisure centres in his native Wales to selling out and headlining at the 7500 capacity Motorpoint arena in Cardiff, Selby’s career really has been on an unquestionable upward curve.
On April 25th Lee Selby gets to show the world what most fans and pundits in the UK already know. That he is a slick, charismatic, world-class operator that is on the rise, who also has not only the potential to win a world title, but to then go and unify the rest of the featherweight division.
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