Explosive Swansea flyweight Jay Harris intends to advance the rich prizefighting traditions of both his region and weight class when he makes an audacious challenge for the Commonwealth title at the York Hall, Bethnal Green tomorrow, writes Glynn Evans.

With just 30 pro rounds on his slate, the 26 year old body snatcher confronts Cameroon champion Thomas Essomba in a scheduled 12 rounder that shall be screened live on BoxNation from 7pm.

 ‘The Swansea region has a good history for boxing since the war,’ states the 9-0 Gary Lockett managed starlet who is coached by his father Peter, a former British featherweight champion.

‘You had the Curvis brothers’ (Cliff and Brian) during the 1960s, Colin Jones and my dad in the 1980s, Floyd Havard in the 1990s, Enzo Maccarinelli during the ‘noughties’. We seem to deliver one top champion every decade. Perhaps it could be me for this one!

‘My dad was British featherweight champion in 1988 and my uncle Mike, dad’s brother, won two Welsh titles in the 80s. My dad regularly sparred Floyd and Colin Jones coached the Welsh squad when I was amateur so I’ve been brought up around our best boxers.’

The Principality, of course, has a fine heritage in the 112lb division which joltin’ Jay has chosen to make his championship bow. Rhondda’s Percy Jones and the incomparable ‘Tylorstown Terror’ Jimmy Wilde both ruled the globe in the second decade of the last century whilst Blackwood’s Robbie Regan boasted an IBF ‘interim’ world title in 1995.

Dancing Dai Dower from Abercynon jetted to Buenos Aires to unsuccessfully challenge Pascual Perez forthe undisputed world title in 1957, while multi-medalled amateur star Andrew Selby  from Barry is presently nestled on the British throne.

‘Obviously, like all Welshman, I’m aware of the legend of Jimmy Wilde,’ acknowledges the shy, softly spoken and humble Welsh atom, who has wiped out his last six with some astonishingly savage body shots.

‘In time, I’d love to win the British title so myself against Andrew would be a good fight for the Welsh fans. But I leave all that to Gary and my dad. Maybe sometime in future. Let’s get this one out of the way first.’

This week Team Harris will navigate the M4 to mount their challenge at the hallowed East End fight hall where Jay previously sparkled – albeit for just 95 seconds – when ironing out Hungary’s Tibor Nadori in his sixth paid gig 19 months ago.

‘The York Hall is a famous boxing place and I really enjoyed fighting there,’ he recalls.

‘All the fans are very close to the ring so it’s very loud and there’s a real echo around the hall. We’re bringing up a bus load from Swansea and I guarantee they’ll make some noise. They always do.’

And come Saturday morning he intends to depart the capital with a welcome addition to this fabulous fighting family’s already extensive bounty.

He concludes: ‘Dad won the British and fought for the European and Uncle Mike won the Welsh and challenged unsuccessfully for the Commonwealth title in Australia (stopped in eight by Troy Waters in 1989) so, fingers crossed, this will be a new belt for the family cabinet.’

Welterweight supremo Bradley Skeete tops an unmissable evening of action when he makes the second defence of his prestigious Lord Lonsdale Belt against Shayne Singleton at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday 6th May, live on BT Sport and BoxNation.

British, Commonwealth and WBO European Champion Skeete has climbed to the very top of the domestic Welterweight scene and is determined to win the Lonsdale strap outright before setting his sights on World honours later in the year.

"Psychologically I’m right ‘on it’ with my British title at stake," said Skeete. "I desperately want the Lonsdale Belt outright so the title defences mean everything. I know every challenger will desperately try to take what’s mine so I’ll be training really hard.

"Shayne’s got a good record and some good wins like Curtis Woodhouse and Adil Anwar. He’s got fast hands, good movement and, given the notice he’s had, we expect he’ll bring his A game.

"I’ve seen it all before; those that come to rough me up, those that come to run away. I’m ready for anything. If Shayne gives me the charge, I’ll box his ears off. If he picks and pokes, happy days. No domestic welter can outbox me. I should definitely be stopping him."

Since debuting in August 2009, Karl Ince coached Singleton has picked up the English Super-Lightweight and WBC International Silver Welterweight titles and plans on adding Skeete's British belt to his collection on May 6th.

"They don’t give British and Commonwealth titles away," said Singleton. "Bradley is quality. The lad’s got everything; fantastic range and he rarely gets hit. But I also see a way of beating him and that’s why I took the fight. Others are expecting a cautious, cagey affair but they’ll be in for a shock. Expect the unexpected!

"I believe my speed, accuracy and movement will trouble him, big time. I’ll make him answer questions and just believe I’ll be too much for him on the night. Just like Adil Anwar, Skeete’s very awkward and bounces around....but the outcome is gonna be exactly the same.

 "Winning a British title would mean everything to me. After winning the Masters, the English and WBC International Silver, this is my world title. I couldn’t give two monkeys about anything that happens thereafter."

Chief support on the card sees Cromer hero Ryan Walsh defend his British Featherweight belt against Belfast's Marco McCullough. All action Walsh etched his name into the boxing records books when he won the title in September 2015 to join twin brother Liam as the first ever set of twins to hold the prized Lonsdale belt simultaneously and is aiming to get back to winning ways after losing to Dennis Ceylan in Denmark last time out.

WBO Inter-Continental Featherweight Champion McCullough ended 2016 in sensational style with a highly-entertaining stoppage victory over Luis Lugo at the Titanic Exhibition Centre and the former WBO European Featherweight Champion will head into the fight brimming with confidence.

Elsewhere on the card, Harrow Lightweight Mitchell Smith has a chance of gaining revenge when he rematches with Belvedere rival George Jupp; Light-Heavyweight sensation Anthony Yarde aims for another explosive knockout win; Heavyweight amateur star Daniel Dubois fights in the capital for the first time as a professional; Chingford Super-Featherweight Boy Jones Jnr looks to improve his unbeaten record; Southampton knockout king Joe Pigford takes on unbeaten Barking Super-Welterweight Aaron Morgan; Hammers fanatic Sam McNess goes for his seventh pro win; Ilford Super-Bantamwieght Lucien Reid; New Malden Super-Middleweight Lerrone Richards; Welling Super-Featherweight Archie sharp; Chelmsford Super-Middleweight Billy Long; Hornchurch Super-Lightweight Sanjeev Sahota; Croydon's Sunny Edwards and Wycombe Super-Lightweight Ben Smith complete a talent-packed card. 

Tickets for May 6 priced £40, £50, £70, £100, £150, and VIP £200 are available from www.copperboxarena.seetickets.com and 0871 2307148.

Glynn Evans surfs the net to extract titbits on the seriously chiselled Russian who has designs on toppling our WBO lightweight king at Manchester Arena on April 8th. 

    Petrov was born in Ryazan, an oil refining city and electronics hub, 120 miles south-east of Moscow in March 1983. He will be 34 this year. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the area was terrorised by the infamous OPG mafia gang and blighted by racketeering and contract killings.

    At the age of 12, the Petrov family moved to Madrid, Spain for commercial reasons. Petr is fluent in Russian and Spanish and speaks some English.

    After nominal amateur experience, Petr turned professional in November 2000. He was just 17 at the time. His initial 19 gigs took place on Spanish territories (one in Tenerife).

    A 5ft 6in orthodox fighter with a 70in reach (southpaw Flanagan is three and a half inches taller), Petrov is nicknamed ‘El Zar’ (The Tsar).

    In his ninth outing, aged 20, Petrov conceded his unbeaten tag, suffering a six round split decision to Columbia’s Ubadel Soto in Madrid.

    However, over the ensuing 13 ½ years, he has lost just three times, all to world champions, each time in the opponent’s yard.

In October 2007, Germany’s future WBC super-feather boss Vitali Tajbert unanimously outpointed Petrov over eight in Halle. In September 2011, monster hitting Argie Marcos Maidana put him out for the full count in a WBA title challenge up at light-welter, in Buenos Aires. Nineteen months later, over in Montenegro, local hero Dejan Zlaticanin (the future WBC lightweight king) outpointed him on all cards over 12.

    Post Zlaticanin, Petrov has been aligned with Artie Pellulo’s Philadelphia-based Banner Promotions. He resides in southern California with his wife Carolina and is trained and managed by Danny Zamora in Santa Fe Springs. Jerry Arias helps out with strength and conditioning duties while Petr’s brother coaches him whenever he is back in Spain.

    His last six gigs (all wins, four early) have all taken place on US soil against opposition with combined stats of 135 wins, 24 losses, five draws. In May 2014, the Russian native captured the ESPN Friday Night Fights prestigious Boxcino lightweight title. Additionally, he has hovered up WBO and WBA regional titles plus the NABF crown at 135lbs.

    Having outpointed Mexico’s former WBC Super-Feather boss Gamaliel Diaz over 10 the previous April, Petrov was scheduled to box in the UK in October 2015. However, his WBO eliminator with Cromer’s Liam Walsh was pulled after the unbeaten Norfolk switch hitter withdrew with a hand injury.

    Potent Petr secured his shot at the ‘Turbo’ by forcing Golden Boy’s highly touted Michael Perez (just one loss in 27) to retire on his stool after six rounds of an eliminator in Indio, California last September. The Robert Garcia trained starlet from New Jersey was dumped and sliced in round two prior to raising the white flag.

    Mandatory contender with both the WBA and WBO, the Russian hard case presently sports a 38-4-2 slate with exactly half of his victims failing to pass the finish post.

Terry Flanagan vs. Petr Petrov tops an unmissable evening of action at the Manchester Arena on April 8; Super-Welterweight rivals Liam Smith and Liam Williams clash in one of the most anticipated domestic dust-ups in recent times; Slick South African Zolani Tete faces Arthur Villanueva in a final eliminator for the WBO World Bantamweight strap; double Olympic Gold Medallist and women’s boxing icon Nicola Adams OBE fights for the first time as a professional and former Team GB Heavyweight monster Daniel Dubois makes his highly-anticipated professional debut along with a talent packed undercard.

Tickets for April 8 priced £50, £70, £100, £150, £200, £300 and VIP £500 are available from eventim at www.eventim.co.uk and 0844 249 1000 and the Manchester Arena at www.manchester-arena.com and 0844 847 8000.