Matchroom Boxing: Courtney Fry Favoured To Win “Prizefighter” Tonight

© Lawrence Lustig

Courtney Fry has been installed as the bookmakers’ favourite to win Barry Hearn’s latest Prizefighter event tonight.

Fry, who claimed a Gold Medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, is the favourite to take the £25,000 top prize in the light-heavyweights competition.

“Prizefighter is a very prestigious event and I have to be victorious as that would be a springboard up into title fights that I think are long overdue,” said Fry.

“This kind of opportunity is late coming but still one I’m going to take with both hands.

There’s a lot of sour grapes but I’m still here, still training hard and still fresh.

“I’m 33 and it’s time for me to make my move as I’m only now peaking physically so why can’t I win this tournament? It’s now or never.”

Fry faces Welsh outsider Shon Davies in the quarter-final before a mouth-watering potential semi-final against either former British title holder Tony Oakey or unbeaten Billy Boyle.

The weigh-in was held on Thursday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in central London with Carl Dilks the heaviest at 12st 8lb 6oz and Steve Spartacus the lightest at 12st 6lb.

However, there was an anxious moment for Spartacus as he originally weighted 1lb over the agreed 12st 9lb limit before an impromptu run around London saw him lose the extra weight.

“I’m really relieved and I was in shock when I saw the figure,” admitted Spartacus, who blamed a problem with the scales, but was the only fighter to need two attempts to make the weight.

“I like to do things professionally and make sure I’m right. I normally wake up five or six pounds over, eat nothing and have a run so I hit the limit.

“I came here, weighed myself and was a pound under, had a drink of still water and was still under but then I weighed in and was a pound over.

“I just ran round London for 20 minutes and you soon get a sweat on.”

Spartacus’s hard work paid off as he weighed 12st 6lb, 2lbs lighter than quarter-final opponent Darren Stubbs.

The Prizefighter contenders are Bob Ajisafe (Darlington), Billy Boyle (Sheffield), Shon Davies (Llanelli), Carl Dilks (Liverpool), Courtney Fry (Liverpool), Tony Oakey (Portsmouth), Steve Spartacus (Ipswich) and Darren Stubbs (Oldham).

The York Hall in Bethnal Green, east London, is sold out but Prizefighter is live on Sky Sports 1 on Friday from 9pm.

Prizefighter Light-Heavyweights weigh-in

Limit was 12st 9lbs
Carl Dilks – 12st 8lb 6oz
Darren Stubbs – 12st 8lb
Shon Davies – 12st 7lb 11oz
Tony Oakey – 12st 7lb 9oz
Bob Ajisafe – 12st 7lb 5oz
Courtney Fry – 12st 6lb 4oz
Billy Boyle – 12st 6lb 1oz
Steve Spartacus – 12st 6lb

Reserves
Ryan Walls – 12st 8lb 15oz
Ovill McKenzie – 12st 7lb 14oz

Betting (odds are to win the whole competition)

13/8 (favourite) – Courtney Fry
4/1 – Carl Dilks
5/1 – Tony Oakey, Bob Ajisafe
6/1 – Billy Boyle
8/1 – Steve Spartacus
18/1 – Darren Stubbs
25/1 – Shon Davies

Quarter-final

1. Courtney Fry v Shon Davies
2. Tony Oakey v Billy Boyle
3. Bob Ajisafe v Carl Dilks
4. Darren Stubbs v Steve Spartacus

Semi-final
5. Courtney Fry or Shon Davies v Tony Oakey or Billy Boyle
6. Bob Ajisafe or Carl Dilks v Darren Stubbs or Steve Spartacus

Final

7. Winner of fight 5 v winner of fight 6