Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Who wins?

Poll ended at 15 Apr 2022, 11:37

Gwynne - Decision
3
33%
Gwynne - T/KO
0
No votes
DRAW
1
11%
Willis - T/KO
1
11%
Willis - Decision
4
44%
 
Total votes: 9

Ruthless-RKO
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Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by Ruthless-RKO »

Image

Press Release

Gavin Gwynne and Luke Willis will collide for the British and Commonwealth lightweight titles as part of an MTK Fight Night at York Hall in London on April 15.

The event will be broadcast live in the US on ESPN+ in association with Top Rank, and worldwide on IFL TV, as Commonwealth champion Gwynne (14-2, 3 KOs) takes on undefeated Willis (11-0, 1 KO), with the vacant British title also up for grabs.

Welsh fighter Gwynne has had a successful 12 months, defeating Sean McComb by seventh round stoppage on an MTK Fight Night back in February 2021, before a successful first defense against Jack O'Keeffe in November.

He now turns his attention to Liverpool's Willis, who in his last outing earned a majority decision win over Ryan Charlton in a tremendous fight at the M&S Bank Arena in October.

Gwynne said: "I’m so excited for this. I was in training all over Christmas staying fit and getting rounds in sparring as well, so I can't wait. I don’t really know a lot about Luke Willis, just that’s he’s a southpaw and unbeaten. I really like boxing southpaws so this is great for me.

"I’ve boxed a lot better boys and fought at a much higher level than Willis, but he’s unbeaten and I’ve been in his shoes before. I know it’s going to bring the best out in him so I’ve prepared for the best version of him.

"The British title is a title that I’ve wanted since turning over, and it would be a dream to win it and especially to win it in fashion as well."

Willis said: "I'm really looking forward to this one. It’s been a long time coming, and I'm right up for it. I've seen Gwynne a few times and he's tall, tough and game, but he's beatable, so it's nothing that worries me.

"He's built a bit of momentum and has a lot of confidence after his past couple of fights, so it’s my job to take that confidence away, which I will.

"It would mean everything to me to win these titles. All I’ve ever dreamed about is that Lonsdale belt. I’ve got my opportunity to get it now and I don’t plan on letting it slip."

MTK Global Promoter Lee Eaton added: "We're thrilled to be returning to York Hall with another action-packed MTK Fight Night, headlined by this tremendous battle between Gavin Gwynne and Luke Willis.

"Gavin has been in fantastic form over the past year, earning big wins over Sean McComb and Jack O'Keeffe. He faces another tough test against a dangerous unbeaten fighter in Luke Willis, and it's great to be working with his manager Tony Bellew to make this bout happen.

"It's going to be yet another superb MTK Fight Night card full of intriguing 50-50 fights, so we can't wait to head back to London on April 15."
Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by Ruthless-RKO »

Press Release | Nina Hughes Return Now Set For Gywnne-Willis Card on April 15

Nina Hughes and Bec Connolly will finally be able to get it on when they clash on the upcoming MTK Fight Night at York Hall in London on April 15th.

The two female fighters will go head to head on the undercard of the British and Commonwealth lightweight title fight between Gavin Gwynne and Luke Willis, which will be broadcast live in the US on ESPN+ in association with Top Rank, and worldwide on IFL TV.

Hughes and Connolly were originally set to meet on February 11th, before Connolly pulled out of the fight with COVID. After some back and forth comments from each fighter on social media regarding the cancellation, they now get to settle their differences on the rescheduled date.

Hughes said: "I'm really pleased that it’s been rescheduled, and I'm just hoping it goes ahead this time. I had a hard eight-week training camp for the fight previously, so I feel like I need to put this fight to bed, come out victorious and move on to get closer to boxing for titles.

"I had a week off, got over the frustration and was straight back in the gym sparring Terri Harper for her upcoming fight so I had the motivation to get focused again.

"I’m professional, and this is business so I wouldn’t allow it to get personal no matter what the circumstances are, but fans can expect to see an explosive fight from the first bell."

Connolly said: "I'm really pleased this fight is back on. I was already looking forward to it as it's a decent scrap, but now I'm looking forward to it even more. I was annoyed to get COVID, and I had a really banging headache and felt sick, but it went pretty quickly.

"I'm definitely going to bring some extra fire to the fight now. I said there were no hard feelings but I've got the motivation to make this the best camp ever. You'll see the best Bec Connolly there has ever been.

"I was really enjoying training because I've got a new coach, but I've got the fire in my belly for this even more now. I'm super excited, and I even turned down a fight in the interim just because I want to give this my full attention."
Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by Ruthless-RKO »

Press Release | Sam Gilley vs. Drew Brown Added

Sam Gilley will defend his English super-welterweight title against undefeated challenger Drew Brown at the upcoming MTK Fight Night on April 15.

The event at York Hall in London is headlined by a British and Commonwealth lightweight title fight between Gavin Gwynne and Luke Willis, and will be broadcast live in the US on ESPN+ in association with Top Rank, and worldwide on IFL TV.

Gilley (13-1, 6 KOs) makes the first defence of his English title after winning it in November, stopping Evaldas Korsakas in the fourth round in Birmingham.

He now turns his attention to Brown (12-0, 1 KO) who makes his long-awaited return after nearly three years out of the ring, with his biggest success coming in 2018 when he won the Ultimate Boxxer tournament.

Gilley said: "This fight is quite special for me. I made my debut at York Hall, so to be making my first defence of the English title there too is brilliant. It will be an amazing atmosphere on the night.

"Drew is the first fighter I’ve boxed that’s taller than me so that’ll be a change. He's been out of the ring for a while but he may have been in the gym regularly getting good sparring.

"It all depends on how he has been while he’s not been fighting. I’ll prepare for the best version of him possible. After I win this, I want the British title."

Brown said: "I'm thrilled to be back. It's been a while since I've fought due to various reasons, but now I've got this fight and it would mean everything to me to win the English title.

"I didn't know too much about Sam but I saw his fight when he won the English title. He did well, but I think my size will be a factor in this fight. I'll put the pressure on him and we'll see how he does.

"The English title is what I've been working towards my whole career. I'll win this, and then the plan is to push on for other titles."

MTK Global Promoter Lee Eaton added: "It's great to add this English title fight between Sam Gilley and Drew Brown to our MTK Fight Night event next month. They were set to fight in February, but now they'll be part of a stacked show at York Hall.

"Sam has looked impressive since moving up t0 154lbs, but he'll have a tough test against Drew Brown, so it's definitely going to be an intriguing fight and an exciting one for the fans."

Elsewhere on the event on April 15, Nina Hughes goes up against Bec Connolly in a rescheduled clash after they were originally due to meet in February. More fights for the card will be revealed in the coming days.
Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by Ruthless-RKO »

Press Release | Carl Fail, Elliot Whale, Dean Richardson Back on MTK Card

Even more undefeated stars have been added to next month's MTK Fight Night event - with Carl Fail, Elliot Whale and Dean Richardson all returning on the bill.

The card is headlined by a British and Commonwealth lightweight title fight between Gavin Gwynne and Luke Willis and takes place on April 15 at York Hall in London, which will be broadcast live in the US on ESPN+ in association with Top Rank, and worldwide on IFL TV.

Fail (5-0, 2 KOs) makes a speedy return after kicking off 2022 with a dominant victory last week, after also claiming four impressive wins in 2021.

Whale (5-0, 1 KO) was last in the ring in December when he defeated Miroslav Serban on points, going alongside his win over previously undefeated Jamie Stewart back in February 2021.

Former Southern Area super-welterweight champion Richardson (12-0, 9 KOs) makes his long-awaited comeback too, as he competes for the first time since March 2020.

MTK Global Promoter Lee Eaton said: "We're delighted to add even more highly-rated fighters to our huge MTK Fight Night event at York Hall next month.

"Carl Fail is destined for big things and has carried his success from the amateurs into the professionals, so we're glad to have him on the card. Elliot Whale is another who is touted to achieve a lot so we can't wait to see him step through the ropes again.

"It's fantastic to have Dean Richardson finally return after over two years out too, so it looks set to be yet another stacked show."

Elsewhere on the event on April 15, Sam Gilley defends his English super-welterweight title against Drew Brown, Nina Hughes takes on Bec Connolly, plus Pierce O'Leary, Sultan Zaurbek and Jimmy Croxson are in action.
Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by Ruthless-RKO »

Press Release | Sultan Zaurbek vs. Haithem Laamouz Added

Undefeated Kazakh star Sultan Zaurbek will defend his WBO European super featherweight title against dangerous challenger Haithem Laamouz when MTK Fight Night returns on April 15.

The show takes place at York Hall in London and will be broadcast live in the US on ESPN+ in association with Top Rank, and worldwide on IFL TV, with a British and Commonwealth lightweight title fight between Gavin Gwynne and Luke Willis serving as the main event.

Zaurbek (12-0, 8 KOs) is back after a successful 2021, winning the vacant WBO European super featherweight title against Ronnie Clark last July, before a defence in December where he stopped Ryan Wheeler in six rounds.

He now has one of his toughest tests yet when he turns his attention to Laamouz (17-1, 7 KOs), who in his last fight won the EBU European Union super featherweight title when he travelled to Italy to defeat local favourite Mario Alfano by unanimous decision.

MTK Global Promoter Lee Eaton said: “We wanted a serious test for Sultan and he’s definitely got one by facing Haithem Laamouz. It’s a fantastic fight and another great addition to our huge MTK Fight Night next month.

“Sultan has looked very impressive in his last few fights, but Haithem will be coming to win and make things very difficult, so we can’t wait to see how things unfold.”

Elsewhere on the event on April 15, Sam Gilley defends his English super-welterweight title against Drew Brown, Nina Hughes takes on Bec Connolly, plus Pierce O’Leary, Carl Fail, Elliot Whale, Dean Richardson, Paul Ryan and Jimmy Croxson are all in action.
Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by Ruthless-RKO »

Fight Week! :box:
maverick23
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by maverick23 »

Nice small hall show.
Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by Ruthless-RKO »

Card so far..

Any TBA's been updated?

• Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis – for British and Commonwealth lightweight titles
• Nina Hughes vs. Bec Connolly
• Sam Gilley vs. Drew Brown – Gilley’s English super welterweight title
• Pierce O’Leary vs. TBA
• Sultan Zaurbek vs. Haithem Laamouz – Zaurbek’s WBO European super featherweight title
• Jimmy Croxson vs. TBA
• Carl Fail vs. TBA
• Elliot Whale vs. TBA
• Dean Richardson vs. TBA
Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by Ruthless-RKO »

Press Release

Gavin Gwynne plans on making history for Merthyr and Wales when he faces Luke Willis for the British and Commonwealth lightweight titles on Friday’s MTK Fight Night.

This week’s show takes place at York Hall in London and will be broadcast live in the US on ESPN+ in association with Top Rank.

Gwynne (14-2, 3 KOs) is the reigning Commonwealth champion, while the vacant British title will also be up for grabs in the showdown against undefeated Willis (11-0, 1 KO).

Victory for Gwynne would see him become the first British champion from Merthyr in over 40 years, following on from the legendary Johnny Owen, and the 31-year-old plans on doing Wales proud.

Gwynne said: “I want to go down in history and make a legacy for myself. A lot of people say they’re fighting for their families and everything else, but when I step into the ring I’m fighting for myself.

“My boxing journey so far has had a lot of ups and downs and it’s been a rollercoaster. I’m getting back up there now and we’re only a few fights from a mega fight. This is my third attempt at the British title and it will mean the absolute world to me to me to win it.

“Bringing the British title back to Wales would mean everything. I’d be the first person to bring the British title back to Mertyr since Johnny Owen, so that’s history in itself.

“Wales has got a long history of world champions, with the likes of Lee Selby, Gavin Rees, Nathan Cleverly and Joe Calzaghe, so it would be amazing to put my name alongside those.

“I’ve been putting everything into this. My body has been through torture in this camp to make sure I’m 100% right on April 15th. This is a must win because I’m getting on in the years now. I’m 32 so I don’t want to fall back down the rankings and have to start to build again.

“My prediction for fight night is just a Gavin Gwynne victory. It doesn’t matter whether it comes on points, or by stoppage, I just want to win.”

Elsewhere on Friday’s card, Sam Gilley defends his English super-welterweight title against Drew Brown, Nina Hughes takes on Bec Connolly, plus Sultan Zaurbek, Pierce O’Leary, Carl Fail, Elliot Whale, Dean Richardson, Paul Ryan and Jimmy Croxson are all in action.
Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by Ruthless-RKO »

Arum said he’s gonna cut ties with MTK.

Does that mean ESPN+ will no longer broadcast the MTK IFL cards.
daz74
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by daz74 »

anyone watching ?

I’ve just tuned in, Carl Fail ….. not convinced he’s any good …..
jameswilson
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by jameswilson »

Just watched the womens fight. That Nina Hughes in her second fight dropped and stopped Bec Connolly like she wasn’t even there. Despite giving up natural weight (Hughes will campaign at 118 going forward.)

Reckon she will soon be snapped up. Really made that look easy whereas a lot of the women we’ve seen fight Bec end up going the distance.
garethhop
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by garethhop »

There was a couple of decent matches before that too.

These are consistently as entertaining as any shows in terms of in ring action.

Wonder how many more of them there will be….
Ruthless-RKO
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by Ruthless-RKO »

Glass Joe
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by Glass Joe »

round of the year that one.
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by Glass Joe »

Gilly vs Brown Great fight that, catch the replay if you didnt see it,
liamlion
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by liamlion »

Great fight. Credit to both lads.
Fortynineandout
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by Fortynineandout »

Gilley v Brown was a great watch - round 8 was awesome!

Love it when two well matched fighters get it together and give their all for a title. Makes you realise that we don’t need the big names / stars up against nobodies- just two well matched lads both coming to win.

Massive credit to both lads ! :clap:
Delta Jay
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by Delta Jay »

3-0 Willis… 3rd closer
NoScoutingReports
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by NoScoutingReports »

Willis cuter with his work but Gwynne has a great engine on him, always working away for three minutes of every round. Output from both men is pretty high to be fair but Willis more responsible defensively.
NoScoutingReports
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by NoScoutingReports »

Willis on his bike a lot more frequently last 2/3 rounds, landing some nice single shots but GG may have taken them on activity. Quite a close fight on the cards now I'd say.
jameswilson
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by jameswilson »

I don’t think the judges will be taking kindly as Willis has really been on his bike too much at times.
NoScoutingReports
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by NoScoutingReports »

jameswilson wrote: 15 Apr 2022, 17:43 I don’t think the judges will be taking kindly as Willis has really been on his bike too much at times.
Yeah you may be right, initially he was getting success when exchanging with some nice uppercuts and hooks but late on he was on the move a hell of a lot.
jameswilson
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by jameswilson »

118-10 harsh on Willis but he did remind me a bit of Ottke and Dirrell at times and I feel the judges of the last 20 years or so have judged harshly those kind of tactics.

Happy for Gavin Gwynn and hope he gets a title defence at the Motorpoint in Cardiff.
maverick23
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Re: Gavin Gwynne vs. Luke Willis | MTK - 15 April 2022

Post by maverick23 »

118-110! I didn’t see that in the fight.
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