BOXXER Series draw: Zorro and Farrell to start the KO fireworks

Ellis Zorro and Jay Farrell will go head-to-head as the most experienced in the field when they kick off the third BOXXER Series event live on Sky Sports from Manchester this Saturday.

The pair were the first two names drawn by Johnny Nelson and Frazer Clarke as they prepare to battle it out with six other cruiserweights for a lucrative cash prize and promotional deal with Boxxer and Sky Sports.

Zorro of Bromley enters with a record of 11-0 following a knockout win over Ossie Jervier earlier this year while Liverpool's Farrell, the oldest in the competition at 33, is 9-2 (5 KOs) ahead of what will mark his first professional bout since March 2020.

The second quarter-final will see one of the favourites in Jamie Smith (3-0, 2 KOs) take on Jack Fay (1-0-1), who was homeless just a year ago.

Ricky Reeves of Sheffield, a latecomer to the sport, meets Watford's Anees Taj, who assured fireworks as he said the "only combination I know is left, right, goodnight".

In the last quarter-final Sheldon McDonald faces 22-year-old Ryan Cotterell, who made his professional debut in February this year.

"It's so hard to tell, I think we've got this one spot on, six of them are unbeaten, also they're so confident, every one of them believes they're going to win and that's what is beautiful about this tournament," said BOXXER promoter Ben Shalom.

"Ryan Cotterell is probably the young one that looks at himself like a Dylan Cheema, Steve Goodwin says Jamie Smith is one of his best prospects and that's why he's a favourite as well.

"We're set up for something very special on Saturday."

Former kickboxer Dylan Cheema was crowned BOXXER Series lightweight champion in Coventry last month when he claimed a unanimous decision victory over Rylan