2008 Olympians James DeGale, Frankie Gavin and Billy Joe Saunders are mint – and it’s official! The terrific trio will all be presented with a special limited edition medal at the prestigious Birmingham Mint next Wednesday ahead of their professional debuts in the city on Saturday night. And they will be following in the footsteps of Barack Obama, whose presidential campaign medal was also forged at the 159-year-old establishment..
DeGale, 23, already has one medal – the gold he picked up at the 2008 Olympic Games in China, while Gavin is the 2007 world lightweight champion and Saunders was just 18 when he went to the Beijing Games.
All three will debut at the NIA, Birmingham, on February 28 against tough Eastern European opposition.
“It’s great that the Brimingham Mint is getting behind us like this,” said DeGale.
“May be one day there will be a set of coins brought out to commemorate what the three of us will go on to acheive as professionals!
“I know that we’re all going to become world champions.”
Promoter Frank Warren has confirmed that the Olympians show will be televised live and exclusive on Sky Sports.
Tickets, priced at £30, £50, £100 and £150, are available from: Ticket Factory 0844 338 8000
www.theticketfactory.com
***FIGHT CARD***
FRANK WARREN PROUDLY PRESENTS
CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2009
THE NATIONAL INDOOR ARENA, BIRMINGHAM
THE COMMONWEALTH HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
12 X 3 Minutes Rounds
MATT SKELTON (Bedford, England) vs. MARTIN ROGAN (Belfast, Northern Ireland)
THE COMMONWEALTH SUPER-FLYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
12 X 3 Minute Rounds at 8st 3lb (115lb)
DON BROADHURST (Birmingham, England) vs. ISSAC OWUSU (Accra, Ghana)
THE MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP OF ENGLAND
10 X 3 Minute Rounds at 11st 6lb (160lb)
STEVE BENDALL (Coventry, England) vs. DARREN McDERMOTT (Dudley, England)
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Middleweight Contest
JAMES DeGALE (Harlesden, London, England) vs. VEPKHIA TCHILAIA (Tblisi, Georgia)
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Welterweight Contest
FRANKIE GAVIN (Birmingham, England) vs. GEORGE KADARIA (Tblisi, Georgia)
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Light-Welterweight Contest
BILLY JOE SAUNDERS (Hatfield, England) vs. ATTILA MOLNAR (Hungary)
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Featherweight Contest
STEVEN SMITH (Liverpool, England) vs. STEVE GETHIN (walsall, England)
4 X 3 Minute Rounds Light-Middleweight Contest
THOMAS COSTELLO (Birmingham, England) vs. MATT SCRIVEN (Nottingham, England)
JAFFA’S WEIGHTING GAME
OLYMPIC bronze medallist Tony Jeffries will launch his professional career in the light-heavyweight division when me makes his debut at Barnsley Metrodome on Friday 27th February.
That was the weight where ‘Jaffa’ swept to glory in Beijing last summer, but he hasn’t ruled out eventually sweating down to the 12st super-middleweight division.
The Sunderland star said: “I would like to think I could end up boxing at super-middleweight, but I am a big lad at 6ft 2in.
“In the amateurs the light-heavyweight division limit is 12st 10lb, which is 3lb more than the professional limit so it will be hard.
“With the right training and diet I might be able to get down, but time will tell.”
Promoter Frank Maloney and the hot prospect’s manager and father Phil Jeffries are looking at potential opponents for Jeffries..
Tony, 23, who trains in Manchester added: “The first few months as a professional will be a learning curve for me.
“I had a lot of amateur experience which will help, but it will also be strange fighting without a head guard and vest.
“To be honest I just can’t wait to get back in there and fighting again. It seems ages since I have been in the ring.
“I am just glad Frank has got me out quick after things went wrong with Dennis Hobson.”
For all the latest updates on the best prospect in British boxing check out Tony’s fantastic website www.tonyjeffries.com or www.frankmaloney.com
Tickets for Tony’s professional debut are on sale priced £35 and £75 from www.frankmaloney.com and 0871 226 1508.
Top of the bill on this historic night in Barnsley is Rendall Munroe’s (17-1) European super-bantamweight title defence against Spaniard Kiko Martinez (20-1). Also on the bill Derby’s Scott Haywood (19-2) challenges WBC ranked number three light welterweight Ajose Olusegun (25-0) for the Commonwealth light-welterweight title.