Junior middleweight Odel Kamara has officially turned professional and has signed promotional terms with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing. The 22-year old from Liverpool will be trained by Tony Sims in Essex and news of his debut will be announced imminently. As an amateur, Kamara represented Great Britain, fighting out of Salisbury Amateur Boxing Club, where he won seven national titles, including the coveted Senior Elite Championship. That success earned him a place on the GB Boxing programme, where he continued to develop against some of the world’s leading amateur fighters.

 

The proud Merseyside man enjoyed a breakthrough 2024 on the international circuit, winning gold at the Dacal Memorial World Cup before claiming the 71kg title at the World Boxing Cup Finals in Sheffield. In the final, he defeated Japan’s Sewon Okazawa by unanimous decision to secure one of the biggest victories of his amateur career. His most significant achievement came last year, when he represented England at the World Boxing Championships in his home city of Liverpool.

 

Competing at 70kg, Kamara went on to claim a bronze medal, including a unanimous decision victory over Canada’s Kuwardeep Manu after flooring his opponent just three seconds into the opening round.

 

Now that Matchroom Boxing has won the race for his signature, Kamara is ready to unleash his skills on the paid stage. Kamara said: “After my decision to turn professional, my attention was firmly on who I thought was best to guide me to the very top of this sport. I met with Eddie Hearn and Frank Smith and I knew straight away that Matchroom Boxing was the place for me.”

 

A date for Kamara’s eagerly anticipated debut will be announced in due course – and he has promised fans he will provide plenty of bang for their buck. “Expect fireworks because I want to give the fans value for money every time I’m in the ring,” Kamara added. “I want to become a superstar in the sport and I know I’m in the right place and the right platform with DAZN to do just that. See you all soon.”

 

Matchroom sport chairman Eddie Hearn is delighted to have secured Kamara’s services and expects him to live up to the hype.  Hearn said: “Kamara is one of the future faces of British boxing. This kid has got it all: he has got the looks, the personality, the power, and, above all, he can really fight. I think Kamara will be in the conversation over time as one of the most exciting stars we’ve ever produced in this country. We had a lot of competition to sign him and I am thrilled he chose Matchroom Boxing. This young man is going to bring some major nights to Liverpool and, believe me, he is going to light up the world’s stage before long.”

 

Kamara’s Boxing Advisor Sam Jones believes his man will fulfil his potential and go on to achieve his goal of becoming a household name in the sport. Jones said: “There’s no secret every manager and promoter in the world wanted Odel so I was delighted to secure his signature. Myself and Odel spoke to promoters but Matchroom Boxing made their intentions very clear from the off and that reflected with the offer they made to us. I am personally delighted to get this long-term deal done with Matchroom Boxing and I’d like to thank Eddie Hearn, Frank Smith, Jai Singh and Tom Grant for getting this huge deal done. Odel is superstar in the making that I truly believe will go mainstream. The journey starts now.”