GEORGE LIDDARD hopes he never has to fight gym-mate and fellow Hammer Jimmy Sains.

The East London pair are tearing through the domestic middleweight scene, with 23-year-old Liddard the reigning British and Commonwealth champion.

NINTCHDBPICT001067887796George Liddard and West Ham keeper Alphonse Areola training local teensCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun NINTCHDBPICT001067887747The Hammers stopper and the British champ traded glovesCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun NINTCHDBPICT001067887620Jimmy Sains, George Liddard, Alphonse Areola and Connor Mitchell are all die-hard HammersCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun

While 25-year-old Sains has the English title, after turning pro a year later than his fellow London Stadium regular.

Liddard’s sublime York Hall win over experienced and respected Kieron Conway last year was the break-out performance of 2025 tops another bill at The Copper on Saturday night against 34-year-old Tyler Denny.

Sains is chief support – taking on Nottingham’s tough Derrick Osaze – but a mouthwatering clash between the pair down the line is off the table – for now – because of their shared trainer Tony Sims.

nut Liddard told SunSport: “I think there’s a lot of healthy competition between us, to be honest.

“We bring each other on, we spar, you know, hundreds of rounds together over the last few years.

“And I think it’s good competition at the minute, you know, it is healthy.

“We both know the fight’s not going to happen, as much as everyone wants it to. And, I’m sure, it would be a great one for the fans.”

The scenario is similar to the one unfolding across the A414 ,in Harlow, where busy trainer Ben Davison juggles WBO heavyweight world champion , rising sensation and British champion Jeamie TKV.

But those three juggernauts rarely spar, unlike the Essex pair who put on pay-per-view worthy practice rounds.

“We have great rounds, Liddard added. “Great rounds.

“But we’re at the same gym.

“There’s plenty of different routes to be taken in at the minute.

“Obviously Jim’s a couple of fights behind me, so hopefully I go on this year to do things on the world scene, and he can come pick up and pick up the British and Commonwealth titles, so we can keep them all in the Sims‘s gym.”

George Liddard v Tyler Denny - First Face OffLiddard and Tyler Denny go to war at the Copper Box after a visit to the London StadiumCredit: Getty George Liddard v Tyler Denny - First Face OffLiddard is the undefeated British and Commonwealth middleweight championCredit: Getty

It’s a wonderful headache for Sims to nurse but Sains – whose 18-year-old brother Bobby is a rising star at Ipswich – sounds a bit more ruthless about the prospect of a potential fight, if it were for a world title.

He said about, the rivalry: “It’s not really something I think about, we spar all the time.

“Me, personally, I think for a world title you’ve got to fight anyone.

“You’ve got beat the best in the world. And, if that’s George, I’ll have to fight him. But, at the moment, we’re on our own paths.”

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The 11-0 banger added: “Even though George is only two fights ahead of me, he’s been a pro for one year longer.

“He’s obviously got titles that I want to get, but he’s looking to push on as well, so if we can both push on at the same time.

“I’ve had quite a few fights in a short amount of time, so sort of my journey’s just behind him at the moment.

“And it might happen in the future, he might go up in weight, or I might go up, we don’t know.

“But at the moment, we’re both bringing each other on, pushing each other in the gym, so it’s working well at the moment.”

The Home of Boxing in 2026

There's a massive year of boxing ahead!

It’s shaping up to be a blockbuster year of action inside the boxing ring.

will make his return in April against Arslanbek Makhmudov while Oleksandr Usyk takes on the king of kickboxing Rico Verhoeven.
features for the first time since making the switch to Zuffa Boxing and Fabio Wardley will defend his newly won heavyweight crown.

Canelo Alvarez will be hoping to return after his defeat to Terence Crawford and heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk will also defend his straps.

Derek Chisora will fight for the 50th and (perhaps) final time against Deontay Wilder while Daniel Dubois is also on the comeback trail.

A whole bunch of British stars could also take a leap into superstardom, with the likes of , Hamzah Sheeraz and Adam Azim ready to join the very top of the sport.

March

  • Sat 21 – George Liddard vs Tyler Denny – British & Commonwealth Middleweight title – DAZN
  • Sat 28 – Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin – DAZN
  • Sat 28 – Sebastian Fundora vs Keith Thurman – Amazon Prime PPV

April

  • Sat 4 – Deontay Wilder vs Derek Chisora – DAZN PPV
  • Sun 5 – Caroline Dubois vs Terri Harper – Sky Sports
  • Sat 11 – Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov – Netflix
  • Sat 11 – Conor Benn vs Regis Prograis – Netflix
  • Sat 18 – Callum Smith vs David Morrell – DAZN
  • Sat 18 – Manny Pacquiao vs Ruslan Provodnikov
  • Sat 25 – Lawrence Okolie vs Tony Yoka – DAZN

May

  • Sat 2 – Zurdo Ramirez vs David Benavidez – WBA & WBO Cruiserweight titles – Prime Video
  • Sat 9 – Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois – WBO title – DAZN
  • Sat 23 – Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven – WBC title – DAZN

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Eze Chidiebere Paul

Eze Chidiebere Paul

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