Hornsby ready to rumble

The East Area Boxing Club fighter is currently unbeaten, as is his London-based opponent, as Hornsby said: “Someone’s O’s got to go, doesn’t it?

“I don’t know too much about Finucane, he’s tall and rangy, he’s undefeated and he’s hungry – but so am I.

“I’ve waited a long time for this opportunity and I’m seizing it.”

Finucane, 26, originally from Cork but now based in Bermondsey, will be looking to put the cherry on his St Patrick’s Day weekend.

He said: “I can’t wait. I’m so ready. I know Darnell can hit but so can I; I’ve got nothing but respect for Darnell but there’s going to be a war.”

Hornsby’s been training since recovering from an eye injury last year that left him wondering if he’d fight again, but working with Sid Thompson he feels prepared for the challenge of what will be his biggest fight of his life to date.

He continued: “It was quite serious, but here we are; I’ve got an excellent team behind me. It’s been brutal getting down to 73Kg, I was 88Kg before Christmas, it’s been tough; but I’ve been on-weight a couple of weeks now.

“The funding I’ve had from Rob Garcha at Empire, Leon Thompson’s Safespark and James Bourne’s Repairs has meant I’ve been able to visit other gyms and get in plenty of time in the ring with lots of fighters.”

Coach Sid Thompson added: “Darnell’s hard work for anyone and he’s durable – I don’t think Finucane has the gas to stop him. We’ve been sharpening his work on the inside, working on his body shots; he’s definitely ready for this.”

The undercard gets started at 1pm, with East Area Boxing Academy’s Jack Shayler, Mickey Mills, Dean Kumar and Jarvis Anderson all matched to fight.