Scarrott kicks off the year with title shot

James Scarrott…first foray over the 10 round distance

JAMES Scarrott steps up to championship class after only five pro bouts when he faces Jamie Stewart for the vacant Midlands welter title at the H Suite, Birmingham, on February 16.

 The bout on BCB’s first show of the year will be Scarrott’s first ten-rounder since turning professional in June, 2022. The 20-year-old from Worcester last boxed in September, when he beat Jake Smith 60-54.

 Scarrott is yet to lose a point in the paid ranks, but now faces a serious step-up. He’s previously outpointed Dean Wilkinson, Paul Scaife, MJ Hall, and Chris Adaway, all on points over four rounds.

Stewart has a modest-looking ledger of four wins, five losses, and three draws, but is a prime example of a record that only tells part of the story. The 31-year-old from Stoke claimed the Midlands welterweight title by defeating Alex Fearon in March, 2022. His first defence against Ben Fields ended in a draw and six weeks later he lost the belt on points on the road against Owen Cooper.

After picking up a decent draw against Roy Moylette in Cannock, Stewart dropped down to light-welter for a vacant Midlands title clash with Kirk Stevens. After 10 excellent rounds, Stevens narrowly came out on top, and it was a similar story in the rematch as another competitive fight saw Stewart walk away empty-handed.

The main event promises fireworks, and it will be fascinating to see if Scarrott has what it takes to defeat the far more experienced Stewart in a classic crossroads fight.

Unbeaten Hamza Azeem will be stepping up to six rounds for the first time and will be hoping to continue his impressive start in the pro game that has seen him win his first four fights.

The 24-year-old southpaw from Birmingham has looked flawless so far and had a career-best performance last time out against Liam Griffiths.

Jake Melvin has already boxed over six rounds twice and will be looking for a title shot of his own soon. But first, the Stourbridge 21-year-old will get a chance to bank more rounds and build on his unbeaten five-fight record in his first outing of the year.

After four years away from the sport, Alex Florence will finally step back through the ropes and make his much-awaited comeback.

The 27-year-old, who lives in Malvern, suffered a serious hand injury sustained in his last bout which curtailed his promising career of six wins in six. Now he has a clean bill of health and is looking to pick up where he left off in 2019.

 Danny Skidmore will make his professional debut on the show and is raring to get going. The 27-year-old, from Tipton, is making the switch from the unlicensed circuit, where he picked up seven wins from eight contests. He has had a stop-start life in the sport, which saw him box as an amateur before taking a couple of years off. His success in the unlicensed game underlines the talent that he possesses.

 Promoter Errol Johnson said: “We ended the year with a Midlands title fight, and I’m pleased to bring another to our first show of 2024. These are the kind of bouts that bring out the best in both boxers.

“James is ready for the step up, and Jamie has an action-packed style, so it’s one I am really looking forward to seeing along with the other fights on the card.”

 Tickets are available,, priced £40 standard and £75 VIP, from the boxers directly or by emailing info@bcb-promotions.com.