Zak Chelli vs Anthony Sims Jr. set for Wembley Arena in Feb 11
Zack is back! Super middleweight Zak Chelli will return to action on February 11 at the OVO Arena in London when he takes on ‘Magician’ Anthony Sims Jr.
This extremely exciting international wild card competition – in association with headline events partner bet365 – joins an action-packed map in the capital, directed by Adam Azim.
England super middleweight champion Chelli (12-1-1, 6 KOs) celebrated a unanimous points victory over Germaine Brown in his last match at Wembley in June 2022.
He was due to defend his title at Alexandra Palace last November before his opponent Lerrone Richards was forced to retire in the 11th hour.
Now London’s Chelli, who has big ambitions to make big strides in the 168-pound division this year, faces a big move against the tough American knockout specialist.
Sims Jr. (23-1-0, 20 KOs), stands at 6ft 1in, has stopped 20 of his 24 opponents, won the 2021 WBA Inter-Continental super middleweight title and is a cousin of the legendary Floyd Mayweather Jr .
The 27-year-old from Indiana is known for his destructive and devastating power with an impressive 20 KO’s on his resume. And Chelli insists this is a fight not to be missed by fans in London.
Chelli said: “After the disappointment of not having fought last November it’s great to be back at the OVO Arena at Wembley.
“It’s going to be a really good fight for me. I’m training hard and I want to make a big impact in the division this year.
“I’m looking forward to taking on Sims Jr. with an experienced man from overseas and stealing the show!”
Hassan Azim is back too – and has made it his mission to highlight his incredible talent this year.
Adam’s older brother, the undefeated Azim (5-0, 2 KOs), delivered a brilliant performance last November when he outclassed Nestor Amukoto with a comfortable points win at Alexandra Palace to cap a hugely successful 2022.
The popular welterweight contender won all four of his fights last year and will be sure to make his own headlines when he launches his campaign in London – live in the UK and Republic of Ireland on Sky Sports Boxing. An opponent will be named in due course.
Joining the bill is the “Wanderer,” Jordan Reynolds. The Luton-based super welterweight (4-0, 1 KO) found success on his last visit to the legendary Wembley arena when he outclassed Jose Manuel Lopez Clavero with a majority of points win last October.
And the Iranian featherweight contender “Razor Ali” (6:0) will also be keen to show off his sharp skills in the capital. Ali – whose full name is Alireza Ghadiri – is undefeated in six previous fights and is desperate to add his first stop in his seventh pro fight.
Adam ‘The Assassin’ Azim made headlines against undefeated Santos Reyes (12-0, 3 KOs).
With six straight stoppage wins – including November’s stunning two-round demolition of the highly regarded Rylan Charlton – BBC Young Fighter of the Year, Azim has now established himself as the world’s leading lightweight and is seen by many as a future world champion after his breakthrough year 2022.
Azim’s McGuigan’s Gym stablemate ‘Sweet’ Caroline Dubois (5-0, 4 KO’s) takes a big step forward on February 11 when she meets highly experienced Argentina National Champion Yamila Belen Abellaneda (15-5-1, 3 KO’s). .
Abellaneda, who has successfully defended her Argentine national title four times since winning it in December 2020, is best known to British fight fans for her WBA Intercontinental title fight with Natasha Jonas’ archrival Terri Harper in March last year and is making her second visit next month to Great Britain.
The English middleweight championship is at stake when newly crowned champion Tyler Denny (15-2-3) makes his first defense against undefeated Cornwall man Brad Pauls (16-0, 9 KOs).
Viddal Riley (7-0, 4 KOs) distinguished himself as a rising stacked cruiserweight threat in 2022. On February 11, he turns his attention to Anees Taj (7-2-0, 5 KOs).
Tickets are available now at Boxxer.com. Media accreditation details will be announced in due course.
