| Venue: OVO Arena, Wembley Date: Saturday, 10 June |
| Coverage: Radio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, live text commentary and reaction on BBC Sport website & app from 19:00 BST. |
Super-bantamweight Ellie Scotney has “brushed the past under the carpet” before Saturday’s delayed world-title shot against Cherneka Johnson.
Scotney, 25, will challenge for the IBF title at Wembley’s OVO Arena.
The bout was due to take place last month but Scotney was removed from Katie Taylor’s undercard in Dublin at the request of fellow English fighter Chantelle Cameron, who beat Taylor.
“It was an awful situation for both parties,” Scotney told BBC Sport.
Cameron was coached by Scotney’s trainer, Shane McGuigan, until they had an acrimonious split in 2019.
Speaking at Thursday’s news conference, Scotney added: “Even the bad publicity she [Cameron] got, I never wanted to be involved in something like that.
“I just want to brush it under the carpet. Onto bigger and better things.”
Neither Scotney – who fights for a world title in just her seventh professional fight – or Johnson showed any signs of nerves as the pair came face-to-face for the first time in London.
Promoter Eddie Hearn says “Ellie has an opportunity to change her life for good” and is tipping his fighter to become a future pound-for-pound star.
“She’s in her home city and will have a lot of support,” he said.
“This is Ellie’s chance to move herself in with those bigger names. She can emerge from a prospect to a world champion.”
The Catford-fighter’s contest against Australian Johnson forms part of a world-title triple header in London. Sunny Edwards defends his IBF flyweight title against Andres Campos and WBA bantamweight champion Nina Hughes faces fellow Briton Katie Hughes.
Edwards targets unifications
Headlining Saturday’s card is the undefeated Edwards, 27, who makes a fourth defence of his world title.
The champion and Chilean Campos have exchanged insults in the build-up and clashed at Wednesday’s promotional face-to-face, with Edwards knocking his opponent’s cap off.
There were more words traded at the news conference with Edwards on the charge and questioning Campos’ credentials.
Campos, 26, brought along half a dozen of his team and vowed to knock Edwards out.
“He was disrespectful to me and my team. I hope he meets me in the ring and we’ll have a tear-up,” he said.
The head-to-head ended in a respectful fist bump as Team Campos repeatedly chanted “And the new…”
Edwards – who was won all 19 pro fights – will box under promoter Matchroom for the first time.
He says he is targeting unification fights and Hearn suggested a bout against WBO champion Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez could take place later this year.
“I genuinely believe I will beat any of the other champions. It doesn’t matter when, where I go to fight them, all that is immaterial,” Edwards added.
Analysis – can unknown champions become boxing stars?
The news conference was held in a suite at the eye-catching Royal Institute of British Architects building in Marylebone, and promoter Hearn will be hoping he can be the architect of turning relatively unknown fighters into sporting stars.
We have three world-title fights involving four British fighters, but in reality the general sporting fan has probably never heard of Edwards, Scotney, Hughes or Healy.
Edwards is an outstanding talent – some say the best in Britain – but his career has gone massively under the radar. Edwards loves to talk and dominated the microphone. He called his opponent’s team “muppets” but – probably for the best – it was lost in translation. At one point he photobombed a Team Campos group photo.
Scotney is hoping to put the whole Dublin drama behind her and capture a first world title. Gym-mate Chris Billam Smith dethroned Lawrence Okolie for the WBO cruiserweight title less than two weeks ago, Scotney says now is her time.
With just 11 fights between them, Hughes and Healy can introduce themselves to a wider audience with a stellar performance. Popular Australian Ebanie Bridges – who attended the news conference – is the IBF champion and will be eyeing up the winner.