Draw for Golden Contract featherweight tournament has been made
The quarter-final draw for the exciting #GoldenContract featherweight tournament has taken place – with the eight fighters now knowing their opponents ahead of Friday's groundbreaking event.
British featherweight champion Ryan Walsh, undefeated Olympian Davey Oliver Joyce, WBO European super-bantamweight holder Tyrone McCullagh, Commonwealth champion Leigh Wood, EBU EU champion Carlos Ramos, Cuban king Hairon Socarras, IBF European champion Jazza Dickens, and WBC Latino champion Carlos Araujo are all competing in the event which takes place at York Hall.
The draw was conducted on Tuesday, with each fighter picking a ball out of a bag. There were four red balls and four blue balls, with the fighters picking the blue balls able to select their opponent from the ones who selected a red ball.
Leigh Wood, Jazza Dickens, Hairon Socarras and Tyrone McCullagh all selected blue balls, meaning they were able to pick out of David Oliver Joyce, Carlos Ramos, Ryan Walsh and Carlos Araujo, who all selected red balls.
Leigh Wood selected blue ball one, meaning he had the first choice of opponent, selecting David Oliver Joyce. Jazza Dickens had blue ball two, and he selected Carlos Ramos.
Hairon Socarras had blue ball three, selecting Ryan Walsh, which meant Tyrone McCullagh had blue ball four, and he was left with Carlos Araujo.
DRAW IN FULL:
Leigh Wood vs. David Oliver Joyce
Jazza Dickens vs. Carlos Ramos
Hairon Socarras vs. Ryan Walsh
Tyrone McCullagh vs. Carlos Araujo
Commonwealth featherweight champion and IBF #15 Wood said: "I've picked Joyce because of style wise, and I've got a few other reasons that I'll keep close to my chest. I'm in it to win the entire competition."
WBO European featherweight champion and WBO #11 Joyce said: "It's going to be a pleasure to get into the ring and show my class on Friday."
IBF European featherweight champion and IBF #9 Dickens said: "Carlos is emotional already, you can see that by looking at him. He's got the EBU EU belt which I haven't had yet, so I'll like to pick that up."
British featherweight champion and WBO #6 Walsh said: "I'm grateful, and I wanted to be one of the opponents who was picked, so I will see Hairon Socarras on Friday."
WBO European super-bantamweight champion and WBO #8 McCullagh said: "I wanted a red ball, but being blue ball number four is just the same. They're all quality lads so you're going to be up against it and in a quality fight no matter who you pick."
Araujo said: "On Friday, McCullagh is going to be in a fight with a real Mexican."
MTK Global Professional Development Coordinator Jamie Conlan added: "Leigh Wood and David Oliver Joyce, stylistically, is a great fight, but Ryan Walsh vs. Hairon Socarras, for me, will be the fight of the round.
"I was surprised that he picked Walsh because he's the betting favourite and the most experienced, so it's going to be a really interesting night on Friday."
Friday's event is live in the UK by Sky Sports in association with Matchroom Boxing, in the US on ESPN+ in association with Top Rank, with the undercard on iFL TV worldwide.