Dillian Whyte and Ian Lewison are both predicting big KO wins when they clash for the vacant British Heavyweight title at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow on Friday October 7, live on Sky Sports.
The Brixton bangers take their rivalry north of the border with the Lord Lonsdale belt on the line along with bragging rights in south London.
Whyte fights for the belt for the second line having tackled Anthony Joshua MBE for the strap in December while it’s Lewison’s first crack at the coveted crown.
Both men enter the contest on the back of morale boosting action, with Whyte returning from shoulder surgery with wins over Ivica Bacurin and Dave Allen, while Lewison picked up the biggest win of his career in China, landing the WBO Asia Pacific crown with a second round KO win over previously unbeaten home favourite Zhi Yu Wu.
With the two men sharing 22 KOs from their 30 wins, there won’t be a backwards step taken on the night as the winner looks to bag the belt, bragging rights and take pole position for bumper fights in the talent-stacked domestic Heavyweight scene.
“I’m going to KO him,” said Whyte. “He’s dangerous for a couple of rounds, but I’ll show him that I’m the best out of south London. I’m the best. Ian will get banged out, he is going to try and swing because he’s got no other choice.
“There’s no friends in this game, boxing is a business and he talks a lot like he’s a hardman but he’s just a little tramp. He’s been around for years and finally got himself a win in China and a top 15 ranking in the WBO, so I want to beat him and take that ranking.”
“Dillian needs to prepare himself to be 100 per cent because I am and I’ll be knocking him out,” said Lewison. “Dillian did what he had to do against Allen, but he said before the fight that Dave didn’t deserve to be in the ring with him and that he was head and shoulders above Dave.
“I expected him to put it on him and show he was a league above him and take him out. He just sat back and boxed in cruise control for ten rounds though – he won’t be able to do that against me.”
Whyte and Lewison clash on a huge night of action in Glasgow as three-weight World king Ricky Burns defends his WBA World Super-Lightweight title against unbeaten mandatory challenger Kiryl Relikh.
Scotty Cardle defending his British Lightweight title against Kevin Hooper, Commonwealth Games gold medal favourite Charlie Flynn tackling Manchester’s Kofi Yates, plus more.
Tickets go on general sale at midday on Friday September 2, with tickets in the £40-£100 bracket available from the SSE Hydro website http://www.thessehydro.com/ and on 0844 395 4000 and 0800 952 0110 (accessible). VIP tickets at £200 are exclusively available at www.matchroomboxing.com
