Cori set for toughest test in first BCB bout

Cori Gibbs…bid for the WBA Continental lightweight title in Dublin

MAKE no mistake – Cori Gibbs’ first fight under BCB Promotions is a tough one.

The Birmingham lightweight, blessed with sugar sweet skills, faces hard-hitting Irishman Steven Cairns, unbeaten in 13, with eight wins coming early. At stake is the WBA Continental title.

To add to the risks, Cori will face Cairns in Dublin on March 14 – only three days before St Patrick’s Day.

Cairns, dubbed the Irish Takeover, will be backed by a noisy emerald army at the 3Arena. The show is promoted by Queensberry and aired on DAZN.

But Gibbs, at the age of 32 and a pro for over a decade, is at a stage in his career where he needs to roll the dice. To date, progress has been painfully slow – only one fight last year, one in 2024, one in 2023.

In Cairns, he faces a fighter with an impeccable amateur background. Steven collected seven national titles and a European youth silver medal. The 21-year-old is being groomed for big things.

Make no mistake – this fight will either make or break Gibbs, who has only one loss in 21 contests. This is his toughest encounter.

Gibbs is supremely talented, blessed with the kind of technical ability that harks back to Frankie Gavin.

And let’s not forget he, too, was an outstanding amateur: two times NACYP gold medallist, two times ABA gold medallist, two times Haringey gold medallist, Three Nations gold medallist, 10 times Midlands champion, Team GB member.

He looked destined for a golden future after winning the huge and lucrative televised Boxxer tournament in 2021 – a one night, last man standing competition with a shared £100,000 prize pot.

After that, things didn’t go as smoothly as expected. It’s not Cori’s fault – promises of big show appearances have fallen through, leaving Gibbs treading water.

In a shocking upset, Corri was outpointed by 41-year-old veteran Jimmy First in 2022. The result was beyond bizarre, with Gibbs repeatedly docked points for spilling an ill-fitting gumshield. Those points were the difference between victory and defeat.

He’s since gained revenge over First and peeled off another victory two victories, but he’s not where he should be in the ranking. Beating Cairns will put him where he should be.

Back in 2023, Cori said: “Boxing for titles - that’s all I want and I know with the work I put in I will get them all and go all the way to the top and box the biggest names in the sport.”

In Dublin, he can begin to make that dream a reality.