British junior lightweight contender Archie “Sharpshooter” Sharp has designs on a world title shot, but he must keep his unbeaten record intact. Sharp, ranked No. 2 by the WBO, will defend his WBO Global belt in a 10-rounder this Friday, Oct. 29 at London’s York Hall against Alexis Boureima Kabore.
In the 10-round co-feature, Kazakh prodigy Tursynbay Kulakhmet will defend his WBC International 154-pound belt versus Dominican veteran Juan Carlos Abreu.
Sharp-Kabore and Kulakhmet-Abreu will top a bill streaming live and exclusively in the United States on ESPN+ at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.
Sharp (20-0, 9 KOs) is a former WBO European belt-holder who fought on an ESPN+-streamed Michael Conlan/Carl Frampton doubleheader in August 2020, edging Jeff Ofori by a single point. He made his 2021 debut on July 10 and survived a pair of cuts to top Mexican upstart Diego Andrade Chavez via unanimous decision. Kabore (28-4, 7 KOs), from Burkina Faso, has fought the majority of his bouts in his home nation and is making his European debut against Sharp. He is a former African Union and WBC International champion at 122 pounds.
Kulakhmet (4-0, 3 KOs), a former amateur standout, won the WBC International belt in his second pro fight with a dominant decision over Macaulay McGowan. He defends that belt in his toughest test to date in Abreu (23-6-1, 21 KOs), a 10-year pro who has fought the likes of former world champion Humberto Soto, Jamal James, Jesus Soto Karass, Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas, Alexander Besputin and Jaron “Boots” Ennis.
In other streaming action on ESPN+:
- Junior middleweight prospect Jordan Reynolds(2-0) looks to make it three for three against Italy’s Rodolfo Paterno(2-4-2, 1 KO) in a six-rounder.
- Shiloh Defreitas,a Jamaican-born fighter who now resides in England, will make his pro debut in a six-round junior welterweight tilt against 123-fight veteran Fonz Alexander.
- Former Southern Area welterweight champion Sam Gilley (11-1, 5 KOs) hopes to rebound from his first career loss against Daniel Lartey (14-5-1, 12 KOs) in a six-rounder at junior middleweight.
- Dublin-born junior welterweight, Pierce O’Leary (7-0, 3 KOs) will aim for his third KO in four fights against Siar Ozgul (15-6, 3 KOs) in an eight-rounder.
Credit: Top Rank
