Arguably the best-matched fighters yet to be brought together for the Wray & Nephew White OverProof Rum Contender boxing challenge, quarter-finals will take place at the Chinese Benevolent Association tonight as Richard ‘Frog’ Holmes and Iwan ‘Pure Gold’ Azore will meet over five rounds.

The Holmes/Azore clash will top the three-fight card, which includes two amateur bouts, the first of which will open the programme at 8:30, with the main bout scheduled to answer the gong at approximately 9:30.

Both amateur fights will feature boxers from the Carl Grant-run Bruising Gym in Stony Hill. Shaven Lindo will appear in the welterweight division, while Omar Campbell will appear in the light heavyweight class over three rounds.

Holmes, who also represents the Bruising Gym, was originally carded to fight southpaw Rashid ‘Boogie Man’ Stevens of Team USA in the professional section. Stevens, however, is reported to be ill, hence the reintroduction of Azore.

Stevens had earlier booked his spot in the quarter-final round by outpointing Team Caribbean’s Camion Goldson in the final fight of the preliminaries to vie for a place in the semis. But as a result of his illness, he was replaced by Team Caribbean’s Trinidad and Tobago current Welterweight champion, Azore.

The Trinidadian had lost a unanimous points decision to Demarcus ‘Chop Chop’ Corley, the former World Boxing Organisation Jr Lightweight champion of the world, in the second fight of the Wray & Nephew Contender campaign 2016.

But his performance against ‘Chop Chop’ Coley was a credible one. It is, therefore, not surprising that Azore was recalled for this quarter-final stage.

Meanwhile, to reach this stage of the Wray & Nephew Contender Boxing Series contest for the third year running, Holmes won his fight against his Team USA challenger Xzavier Ford when the fight was stopped after 55 seconds of the first round.

During the round, Ford stopped fighting and complained of an acute discomfort in his right shoulder. As it turned out, the injury that the 19-year-old American sustained was severe enough to call in the ringside medical team headed by Dr Andre McDonald. After close examination, Dr McDonald declared the contest over as Ford was unable to continue due to the nature of the injury. Ford was then stretchered out of the ring back to his dressing room for further examination and Holmes declared the winner.

However, before the fight had ended, Holmes had seemingly done some early damage that could have contributed to hasten the early retirement of the young American, who was by no means a match for his Team Caribbean opponent.

For Azore, his meeting with Holmes is as much the same as it was with his fight against ‘Chop Chop’ Coley. While Azore was programmed to fight on the card at some later date, he was summoned before time to meet Coley. Here he is again filling the breach for Ford. At press time, there was no word from his camp as to what physical condition Azore may be in at present.

Meanwhile, Holmes has been preparing diligently to go all the way to the top in the Wray & Nephew Contender. Holmes, who reached the final of the Contender last year, is positive in his outlook.

“While this may be a tougher assignment than my opening fight, to reach the top you have to be prepared to meet the best. To be the best you have to beat the best. This is the only way one can achieve the best result, and that is by preparing for all comers,” Holmes said.

“If one is going to take home the $2 million at stake, then one has to be at his best and to do this preparation is the key factor. I have been preparing and I may just get there,” he added.