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Rafferty-Chamberlain: Meet the two Olympic medallists in action on the undercard
Jack Rafferty and Mark Chamberlain go head-to-head this weekend for the British and Commonwealth titles at super lightweight, live on DAZN.
Queensberry promoter Frank Warren has filled the undercard with hot prospects, including 2024 Olympic bronze medallists Lewis Richardson and Charlie Senior.
Freshly professional, both fighters will look to build on the hype generated by their amateur careers with strong performances on Saturday.
Successful 2024 Olympics for Lewis Richardson and Charlie Senior
Every Olympian dreams of standing on the podium, years of hard work and dedication all building up to the games. Last summer Richardson competed in the welterweight division, with Senior fighting at featherweight.
Bradford-born Senior was seeded fourth for the 57kg tournament; Richardson was not and was drawn in the bottom half of the 71kg competition.
Richardson edged past Serbian Vahid Abasov and Jordanian Zeyad Ishaish 3-2, before losing to eventual silver medallist Marco Verde of Mexico by the same margin.
American Omari Jones, who has also turned pro and earned hot-prospect status, would go on to claim gold. Colchester-raised Richardson was the only member of Team GB to medal in a boxing event.
Senior cruised past Belgian Vasile Usturoi 4-1 in the round of 16, before squeezing past Carlo Paalam of the Phillipines 3-2. The Australian was then soundly beaten by Uzbekistani Abdumalik Khalokov 5-0.
Khalokov would take gold in the final, inflicting a whitewash upon Munarbek Seiitbek Uulu of Kyrgyzstan. Senior would announce his decision to turn professional in February 2025, joining Warren’s stable at Queensberry.
Richardson took a bit longer to decide his future, weighing up moving to the pro ranks or aiming for gold at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Ultimately, he opted to leave Team GB’s World Class programme, linking up with Queensberry to take his first steps in the paid ranks.
Lewis Richardson and Charlie Senior looking to build on debuts
Leigh Dawney/Queensberry
Both Richardson and Senior made their professional debuts on Queensberry shows earlier this year.
Senior knocked down the experienced Cesar Ignacio Paredes en route to a points victory on the under undercard of Anthony Cacace’s stoppage of Leigh Wood, whilst Richardson took all six rounds in a win over Dmitri Protkunas during the build-up to Fabio Wardley’s stunning knockout of Justis Huni.
What weight do Lewis Richardson and Charlie Senior compete at?
As an amateur, Richardson campaigned at middleweight and super welterweight before coming down to welterweight for the Olympics. Some amateur weight classes differ slightly from their professional namesakes, with Richardson moving back to middleweight when making his pro debut in June.
Middleweight in the professional ranks has a limit of 72.6kg, slightly short of the amateur division that is capped at 75kg.
Senior fought as high as light welterweight as an amateur, before dropping back down to compete at featherweight. The difference between featherweight in the amateur and paid codes is far closer than at middleweight; the pro division’s cut-off is at 57.2kg, unpaid fighters’ limit set at 57kg.
Although he fought slightly above the 126lbs mark on his professional debut, weighing 128.25lbs, Senior is expected to compete at featherweight as a paid fighter.
Lewis Richardson and Charlie Senior’s next opponents
Still finding their footing in the paid code, Richardson and Senior’s upcoming opponents are similar to the fighters they debuted against.
Senior takes on Darwing Martinez, a Nicaraguan fighter that has become well aquainted to the British boxing scene in recent years.
Leigh Dawney/Queensberry Promotions
In 25 fights staged in the United Kingdom, Martinez has won just once and drawn another, with his current losing streak stretching 24 bouts and two years.
Artjom Spatar, 5-16-1 (1 KO), is an Estonian middleweight that has also appeared on the British circuit with regularity. After 13 fights across the UK, Spatar has yet to taste victory, his best result a draw with Sam King at York Hall in 2024.
- Read next | York Hall, the breeding ground of British boxing
Frank Warren’s plans for Lewis Richardson and Charlie Senior
Veteran promoter Warren has already stated that he would like to see Richardson headline a show in his hometown, targeting a night at local football club Colchester United’s JobServe Community Stadium, a venue that holds just over 10,000.
Richardson was not shy about sharing his ambitions upon signing for Queensberry in May. At the time he stated: "My inspiration as a professional is to go all the way, to win a world title.
“I remember watching the likes of Joe Calzaghe, Richie Woodhall and in more recent years, of course, the likes of Tyson Fury.”
Despite being born in Yorkshire, Senior has spent the majority of his life Down Under, his family emigrating to Australia when he was two.
Now 23-years-old, Senior is based back in the UK, working out of the IBox Gym in London. His gymmates include fellow Aussie Skye Nicolson, world title challenger Sam Noakes, and fellow prospect Lelli Buttigieg.
Earlier this year Senior spent time training with World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson, highlighting how the prospect is rubbing shoulders with a lot of notable fighters.
Senior told DAZN News: “It was an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down,.
“I’ve always wanted to test myself against the very best in boxing and although I’m at the start of my journey, it’s always good to get in there and take a closer look at what it takes to reach the highest level.”
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