The latest boxing news from Hackney

Hackney light-heavyweight Anthony Yarde faces the toughest fight of his professional career so far against Travis Reeves on Friday night.

The unbeaten Yarde will defend his WBO inter-continental title against American rival Reeves on a Frank Warren show at the iconic Royal Albert Hall.

The bout is also due to be screened live on BT Sport as the 27-year-old finally gets his 2019 campaign underway.

Yarde has won all 17 of his professional fights to date, but has only been in the ring for a total of 46 rounds.

In that time, though, the Hackney bruiser has won the Southern Area title and WBO European strap in addition to being the current WBO inter-continental champion.

The hard-hitting Yarde will now be hoping he can keep hold of his WBO inter-continental belt with another victory over Reeves on Friday.

A success would brilliantly mark the start of what could be an important year for the 27-year-old.

Many are tipping Yarde to challenge for a world title before 2020 rolls around, but a defeat to Reeves on Friday would all but end that talk.

Yarde is joined on the bill by Homerton super bantamweight Lucien Reid, who faces Birmingham’s Indi Sangha.

Like Yarde, Reid is yet to be beaten as a professional having won all eight of his bouts in the paid ranks.

*Former Lion amteur William Webber collected his fifth win as a professional with a third-round stoppage of Ivo Krastev at York Hall on Saturday.

The super middleweight was competing for the first time in 2019 and wasted little time in seeing off his Bulgarian rival.

Webber continually slammed in shots to both head and body, with referee Jeff Hinds eventually calling the fight off 53 seconds into the third round after Krastev offered little resistance.

*Hackney’s Ram Singh is the new London Junior Champion at 44kg after winning the title last weekend.

Singh faced Nemesis rival Harry Powell in the London final at Feltham Community College last weekend.

The Hackney youngster had to be at his best against former national champion Powell, but produced the goods in the third round to stop his rival and progress to the national quarter-finals.