BCB Promotions is kicking their 2024 schedule with a vacant Midlands welterweight title clash between James Scarrott and Jamie Stewart at the H Suite in Birmingham on February 16th.
‘February Firepower’ will be Scarrott’s first ten-rounder and his first time challenging for a belt after putting together an unbeaten five-fight record since turning professional in June 2022. The 20-year-old from Worcester last boxed in September, when he beat Jake Smith on points 60-54.
After previously outpointing Dean Wilkinson, Paul Scaife, MJ Hall, and Chris Adaway, all through four-round points whitewashes, with each of the final score lines being 40-36. The Worcester City Boxing Club graduate is yet to lose a round in the paid ranks.
Stewart has a modest-looking ledger of four wins, five losses, and three draws, but is a prime example of a record that only tells part of the story. The 31-year-old from Stoke-on-Trent previously held the Midlands welterweight title after defeating Alex Fearon in March 2022. His first defense against Ben Fields ended in a draw, and six weeks later he lost the belt on points on the road against Owen Cooper.
After picking up a decent draw against Roy Moylette in Cannock, Stewart dropped down to super lightweight for a vacant Midlands title clash with Kirk Stevens. After ten excellent rounds, Stevens narrowly came out on top, and it was a similar story in the rematch as another competitive fight saw Stewart walk away empty-handed.
Unbeaten Hamza Azeem will be stepping up to six rounds for the first time and will be hoping to continue his impressive start in the pro game that has seen him win his first four fights. The 24-year-old southpaw from Birmingham has looked flawless so far and had a career-best performance last time out against Liam Griffiths.
Jake Melvin has already boxed over six rounds twice and will be looking for a title shot of his own soon, but first, the 21-year-old from Stourbridge will get a chance to bank more rounds and build on his unbeaten five-fight record in his first outing of the year.
After four years away from the sport, Alex Florence will finally step back through the ropes. The 27-year-old, who lives in Malvern, suffered a serious hand injury sustained in his last bout against Qasim Hussain, which curtailed his promising career that had seen him notch up six wins from six. Now he has a clean bill of health and is looking to pick up where he left off in 2019.
Danny Skidmore will make his professional debut on the show and is raring to get going. The 27-year-old from Tipton is making the switch from the unlicensed circuit, where he picked up seven wins from eight contests. He has had a stop-start life in the sport, which saw him box as an amateur before taking a couple of years off. His success in the unlicensed game has shown the talent that he possesses, which has now seen him make the decision to join the pro game.
Promoter Errol Johnson “We ended the year with a Midlands title fight, and I’m pleased to bring another to our first show of 2024. These are the kind of bouts that bring out the best in both boxers; James is ready for the step up, and Jamie has an action-packed style, so it’s one I am really looking forward to seeing along with the other fights on the card.”.