Anthony Fowler will headline his first ever show in his hometown at the Exhibition Centre Liverpool on Friday August 2nd when he steps up vs. Brian Rose in a junior middleweight bout that will be shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US. Fowler (9-1, 8 KOs) lands a golden opportunity to bounce back from a first career defeat at the hands of Scott Fitzgerald. "The Machine" knows that nothing less than a win will suffice vs. Rose (31-5-1, 8 KOs).
Rose believes his superior experience will prove to be the difference on the night and "The Lion", a former British champion, is determined to fire his name back into the mix one last time before he hangs up his gloves for good.
“I want tests and I want to be involved in the big fights,” said Fowler. “To be headlining a show in Liverpool is a great honour. I’m not in this game to be taking easy fights. Brian has mixed it at the top level throughout his career and this is a fantastic chance for me to test myself against an experienced opponent. “I learnt a lot from my last fight and we went away and improved in a few areas. I know that I’m in for a tough night’s work but this is a fight that I feel ready and prepared for. Brian is a known name and I think he’ll get the best out of me on the night. This is strictly business and I’m ready to do the business in what is a must-win fight for me.”
“I think he’s a good fighter but he’s certainly not ready for me,” said Rose. “I’m more experienced than him and I can do 12 rounds standing on my head. It’s a mismatch. 18 months out of the ring gave me time to think about what I wanted and I feel like I’ve got so much left in the tank to give.
“If he doesn’t win this fight where does he go? He’s lost to someone that’s young and a prospect, and now he’s fighting me who people think is over the hill. He’ll have lost to a prospect and a veteran. The pressure is all on him and he has to pull out the stops.
“I sparred with him a few years ago and I get on with him but quite recently he’s slagged me off on social media. It’s left a bad taste in my mouth but I’ll deal with that on the night. For me this comeback isn’t about money, it’s not even about achievement, it’s about knowing I’ve got something left to give the sport that I’ve served for so long.”
OTHER BOUTS
Forest Hall banger Lewis Ritson (18-1, 11 KOs) makes his second appearance at 140 pounds as he takes on former European champion Joe Hughes (17-4-1, 7 KOs) in a tasty showdown that could lead to a shot at Liverpool’s Robbie Davies Jr. later in the year. Davies Jr. (18-1, 12 KOs) outpointed Hughes at the M&S Bank Arena Liverpool to claim the EBU European crown back in April and keeps busy on August 2nd knowing that a clash with ‘The Sandman’ could be next...
Bolton middleweight Jack Cullen (16-1, 7 KOs) makes the first defence of his title against Dillian Whyte-managed Brixton man John Harding Jr (7-0-1, 1 KO) after his Commonwealth title shot against Felix Cash was shelved due to an injury to the champion...
Martin Bakole (12-1, 9 KOs) returns to take on Ecuador’s Ytalo Perea (11-4-2, 7 KOs) after defeating Mariusz Wach in April, stopping the Pole in eight rounds in his first fight since a loss to contender Michael Hunter...
Welsh amateur star Sean McGoldrick (9-0, 2 KOs) says he is ready to push on towards title action but the 2010 Commonwealth gold medallist must first overcome former Commonwealth and English Flyweight champion Thomas Essomba (8-5, 3 KOs)...
There’s also action for hard-hitting Montrose super middleweight John Docherty (5-0, 5 KOs), Leeds super bantamweight Qais Ashfaq (6-0, 3 KOs), Anthony Bellew-managed light heavyweight Thomas Hart (1-0), Anthony Crolla lightweight protege Dylan Evans (2-0) and Manchester welterweight debutant Nathan Farrell.
