By Peter Lim

Since their losses to Russian power puncher Sergey Kovalev, former contenders Cedric Agnew and Cornelius White have struggled to get their careers back on track. Both light heavyweights will return to the drawing board fighting separate bouts in their home base of Houston on Thursday night at the Bayou City Events Center in Houston.

Agnew (27-2, 14 KOs) will take on Kevin Engle (record unknown) in a six-round bout. Agnew, 28, was stopped in the eighth round by Kovalev via body shots last March. He rebounded with a meaningless first round KO over a 25-52-8 journeyman three months later but lost his next fight to Samuel Clarkson (12-3, 9 KOs) in February.

White (21-4, 16 KOs) faces William Johnson (10-41-2, 3 KOs) over six rounds. White, 33, annihilated in three rounds by Kovalev in 2013. In his next fight, he suffered a first round KO to Thomas Williams (18-1, 12 KOs) last January. He was subsequently sidelined for 15 months by an eye injury. White was outpointed over 10 rounds by Marcus Browne (15-0, 11 KOs) in his comeback fight in May.

The card will be staged by Savarese Boxing Promotions. 

In other fights:

Middleweight Radmir Akhmediyev (6-0, 6 KOs) fights Vance Garvey (9-42-6, 3 KOs) over six rounds.

Junior welterweight David Limerick (4-0, 3 KOs) takes on Anthony Hill (1-11) over four rounds.

Robert Silva (7-0, 5 KOs) faces Cortez Coleman (2-0, 1 KO) in a four round light heavyweight bout.

Welterweight Alberto Robles (4-1, 1 KO) takes on Antron Pearson (2-5, 1 KO).

And cruiserweight Craig Hernandez (1-0) faces Preston Kenney (7-19, 6 KOs).