Sam Maxwell returns to the ring this weekend after nearly 10 months out.
The Liverpool-based super-lightweight holds the Commonwealth crown in the division.
Maxwell, 34, has a record of 16-1 with 11 quick finishes, but he has been inactive since losing by stoppage at the hands of Alejandro Meneses.
‘Super’ Sam took on the 32-year-old Mexican at the M&S Bank Arena on Merseyside last April and was down twice before being halted inside nine rounds as the pair vied for the then-vacant IBO title in the 10-stone weight class.
Meneses is due back in action next month, when he faces undefeated Kazakh Zankosh Turarov in a defence of his title in Almaty, but it’s Maxwell who is back first –– and he’s back with a renewed vigour and hoping to land big domestic fights.
“I’ve got a job to do on Saturday,” said Maxwell, whose comeback is to be screened exclusively live on DAZN, as part of the supporting cast to Leigh Wood’s second defence of the WBA featherweight title against Meneses’ fellow Mexican Mauricio Lara at the
Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham. “[I need to] get through that and let’s see what we can do after.”
Maxwell is in a red-hot division on a national level, one which is occupied by undefeated sensation Adam Azim and the current British king Dalton Smith.
And it’s Smith (13-0, 10 KOs) that Maxwell has in his sights going forward.
“Dalton Smith is a fight I’m interested in,” Maxwell, who faces Shaun Cooper over six rounds, said during fight week, “and that’s the fight I want.
“Touch wood, we both come through on Saturday and we can get it on.”
The aforementioned Smith is in his second defence of the Lonsdale belt on the same card as he faces Billy Allington, while Kieron Conway boxes over eight rounds and Gamal Yafai fights for the first time under the tutelage of new training team Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis.
Irish star Gary Cully hopes a win against Wilfredo Flores in a defence of his WBA Inter-Continental lightweight title will lead to a slot on the Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano rematch bill on May 20, while there is action for Junaid Bostan, Cheavon Clarke and former five-time national amateur champion Aaron Bowen who makes his professional debut after clinching bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in the light-heavyweight division and inking a deal with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom.