Two champs, a title fight and eliminator on Excelsior Club bill

Jess Barry…champ has bouts scheduled for April and May

THE Excelsior – an establishment that has revived the glitzy glory days of boxing sporting clubs – continues to go from strength to strength.

Two champs will fight at the black tie and evening dress establishment on May 29. There’ll be a 10 round title fight and English or British title eliminator.

Those present at the club’s base – Cannock’s Premier Suite – will be served fine food and witness fine fighters in action.

They’ll see both English featherweight champ Jess Barry and newly crowned English super-bantam titleholder Nyall Berry. The card will also include talented Birmingham lightweight Scott Melvin in an overdue title eliminator.

Promoter Scott Murray said: “I want to put a title fight on every Excelsior show. It makes it a bit more special, a bit different.

Coventry’s Barry, making her fourth Excelsior appearance in nine fights, will defend her English and Commonwealth silver belts. She defended the former and won the latter at the venue earlier this month. An opponent has yet to be named.

The 30-year-old is locked in a very busy schedule. On April 26 she flies to Toulouse to face France’s Laela El Ksiri, who has won two of five, over six or eight rounds.

Manager Jon Pegg said: “She’s had so many fights fall through in her career, we thought we’d make hay while the sun shines.”

The plan is to get Jess a WBC international title fight – either at feather or super-bantam – later on in the year.

Nyall Berry…quick return to action after taking English title

For Berry it’s a quick return after stopping Lewis Frimpong last weekend for the English super-bantam belt. It’ll be a tick-over bout for Nyall over six or eight rounds. “We want to keep him busy,” Pegg said.

Scott Melvin, third member of the Eastside gym trio on the show, has a more importance challenge. His opponent has yet to be named, but he’ll box in an eliminator for either the British or English title.

Scott Melvin…well deserved eliminator for the lightweight

After a frustrating 11 months away from the ring, Melvin returned in February and hammered much heavier Dan Booth.

With only one loss in 11 outings, former Midlands champ Scott told me: “Now I just want big fights, titles, I’m ready to go.”

The show will also feature a fourth contest, yet to be made.