Is Ashley Theophane Britain’s next world champion boxer?
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With a number of current champions and potential belt holders among the ranks British boxing is in rude health at present.
Tyson Fury, James DeGale, Billy Joe Saunders, Liam Smith, Kell Brook, Lee Selby and Lee Haskins are all world champions in their own right, while Anthony Joshua and Amir Khan could add to those numbers in the coming months.
There is, however, another Brit on the cusp of a world title but having relocated to the US some 11 years ago little is known of 35-year-old Londoner Ashley Theophane, despite a solid CV.
Born in Paddington, Theophane boasts a record of 39 wins and 11 knockouts from his 46 fights, drawing one and losing six of his other bouts.
Nicknamed ‘Treasure’ and now based in Las Vegas, Theophane has held the British title at Light Welterweight and the WGBC belt at Welterweight.
It is at the lighter weight the Floyd Mayweather-promoted boxer will attempt to join his illustrious countrymen though when he takes on Adrien Broner for the WBA Super title at the D.C Armory in Washington on April 2.
Theophane is ranked ninth by the WBA so it seems his relationship with Mayweather, who also mentored Broner earlier in his career, has earned him his title shot and at 10/1 the betting suggests the Brit will fail to deliver.
Broner goes in to the bout as the 1/25 favourite, but with two losses from his last six outings and his out-of-the-ring issues potentially diminishing his focus there could be some value in backing the outsider.
Theophane has won his last six fights, has never been stopped inside the distance and will not be fazed by fighting in America, having made his home in the States over a decade ago.
So, while the odds are stacked against him, with Mayweather in his corner and riding a wave of confidence there could be plenty of entertainment from Britain’s latest title challenger.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
