Matchroom Boxing: Stephen Burke Aims To Win Lightweight Prizefighter

© Lawrence Lustig

Liverpool boxer Stephen Burke admits he faces a ‘make or break night’ in his career on Tuesday, March 24 as he bids to become Prizefighter Champion.

Burke, 30, is one of eight British lightweights in Barry Hearn’s latest all-in-one-night Prizefighter tournament where the last man standing wins £25,000.

However, Burke admits he has thought about quitting boxing, and may do so if he under-performs in the event, which will be screened live on Sky Sports 1.

“This is the most important night of my career,” said Burke, who has won all eight of his bouts in a stop-start three and a half year period as a professional.

“If I’m as good as I think I am, I should be winning Prizefighter. But if I struggle I will have to go back to the drawing board. It may be the last night of my career but I’m not looking at it that way, I’m just hoping to win it.

“I’m not going there for second prize, but to win, be exciting and hopefully have people talking about my performance. My career has stalled and I was considering whether to carry on.

“I’d virtually made my decision to quit so I made a phone call to Matchroom Sport’s Head of Boxing John Wischhusen and he promised me I could go in Prizefighter, which was a massive boost to me. I can’t thank John enough.

“I was just being so inactive and would box once every four months. But that’s not what I want out of the sport and I feel I have a lot to offer boxing.

“I thought if I was not around the titles then it’s not worth being in the sport – I’m not here to make up the numbers. But Prizefighter is my big shot so I’m going to grab it with both hands. This is make or break for me.”

Four quarter-finals, two semi-finals and a final will all take place in a frantic three-hour period at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, with each contest lasting a maximum of three rounds.

Burke, a three-time national amateur champion, faces Scotland’s Stuart Green in his first fight and will be aiming to emulate St Helens’ Martin Murray, who triumphed in the middleweight competition in November.

Tickets cost £30 (unreserved) and £50 (reserved, ringside) and are available by calling 0141 810 5700 or 0844 395 4000 (24-hours).

© Lawrence Lustig

The full list of competitors is: Ryan Brawley (Irvine), Stephen Burke (Liverpool), Stuart Green (Glenrothes), Paul Holborn (Sunderland), Charlie King (Motherwell), Gary McArthur (Clydebank), Ben Murphy (Hove, Sussex) and Steve Saville (Wolverhampton).

As usual, two reserves – Gary Reid and Damien Owen – will be on standby if a victorious fighter is unable to compete in the next round due to a cut or injury.