Matchroom Liverpool NXTGEN: Peter McGrail vs. Marc Leach Preview

Matchroom Liverpool NXTGEN: Peter McGrail vs. Marc Leach Preview

By Matt Elliott

Matchroom head to Liverpool this weekend as they bring their NXTGEN concept to the Exhibition Centre, with Peter McGrail headlining the show against former British super bantamweight champion Marc Leach with the WBA International super bantamweight title on the line, and the fight also an eliminator for the British title. The main event was originally scheduled to be the rematch between McGrail and Ja’Rico O’Quinn following their explosive encounter last December in which O’Quinn recovered from being knocked down in rounds two and four, to stop McGrail in the fifth, handing the Liverpudlian his first professional defeat. It was announced a few weeks back that O’Quinn had withdrawn due to family matters, and Leach duly stepped forward.

This is a tricky encounter for McGrail. The defeat to O’Quinn was a shock, and he will have been eager to avenge that loss at the earliest opportunity. A late change of opponent is never easy, and with Leach, he faces someone who, despite losses in his last two fights, comes into the contest with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Leach became British champion with victory over Chris Bourke in March 2022, a fight he came into as underdog, only to put on an almost flawless performance to take a unanimous points victory.

Whilst he dropped the title in his first defence, a unanimous points defeat to Liam Davies, that loss has aged particularly well given what Davies has gone on to achieve since, and the manner in which he has done it. McGrail will be expected to beat Leach and do it in style, but if he underestimates him, he could find himself in for a long night.

It will be a family affair for the McGrail’s, as Peter’s younger brother Joe makes his Matchroom debut on the card. Coming into the fight with a professional record of 9-0 and fresh of a first round TKO victory last time out, he faces Ryan Walker who, despite having lost three in a row, is an experienced opponent who has previously faced the likes of Paul Butler and Lee McGregor and should provide a good test and a definite step up in quality.  

There will be a world title on the line in the women’s lightweight division, as the highly rated Beatriz Ferreira takes on Yanina del Carmen Lescano for the vacant IBF belt in just her fifth professional fight. The former Olympian, who won silver in Tokyo, has been with Matchroom since turning professional in 2022, and this is a fantastic opportunity to secure her first world title, which could prove the gateway to some huge fights, including a potential showdown with Caroline Dubois.

Junaid Bostan continues his development against Jack Martin at super welterweight. Having made his US debut last time out, on the undercard of stablemate Sunny Edwards, Martin provides another good test, coming into the contest with nine victories against just one defeat, and having won the last three. The fight is for the Commonwealth Silver title and is also an eliminator for the English super welterweight belt.

Another female contest sees Maisey Rose Courtney take on Giuseppina Di Stefano as she steps up to eight rounds for the first time. Courtney will be hoping to get a title fight this year, and she is surely not too far away from that opportunity, with current European champion Chloe Watson firmly in her sights. Stefano comes into this one on the back of a unanimous points loss to Lauren Parker in December, as she failed to secure the vacant European super flyweight title.

Elsewhere, Frankie Stringer meets Jonatas Rodrigo Gomes de Oliveira at lightweight, Stephen Clarke has his third fight of 2024 having last fought a fortnight ago, as he takes on Artjom Spatar and former Team GB member and eight-time National champion Hamza Uddin makes his Matchroom debut, taking on Santiago San Eusebio over six rounds.  

The action is live on DAZN with Before The Bell starting from 5:30pm and the main card commencing from 7pm.

Main Card (live from 7pm)

Peter McGrail (121.8lbs) vs. Marc Leach (121.2lbs) – WBA International Super Bantamweight title & British title eliminator (10 rounds).

Junaid Bostan (153.5lbs) vs. Jack Martin (151.9lbs) – Commonwealth Silver title & final eliminator for the English Super Welterweight title (10 rounds).   

Stephen Clarke (161.3lbs) vs. Artjom Spatar (160.2lbs) – Middleweight (4 rounds).

Beatriz Ferreira (134.8lbs) vs. Yanina del Carmen Lescano (134.4lbs) – IBF World Lightweight title (10 rounds).

Joe McGrail (126.4lbs) vs. Ryan Walker (125.7lbs) – Featherweight (8 rounds).

Before The Bell (live from 5:30pm)

Hamza Uddin (115.3lbs) vs. Santiago San Eusebio (114.9lbs) – Super Flyweight (6 rounds).  

Maisey Rose Courtney (113.2lbs) vs. Giuseppina Di Stefano (114.2lbs) – Flyweight (8 rounds).

Frankie Stringer (136.2lbs) vs. Jonatas Rodrigo Gomes de Oliveira (133.5lbs) – Lightweight (6 rounds).

Photo Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing