WOLVERHAMPTON FIGHT WEEK FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE: EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID AS WALKER AND EGGINGTON GET SET FOR SHOWDOWN
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 01 May 2026
Conah Walker and Sam Eggington traded their final verbal blows ahead of Saturday's powder keg Midlands derby in Wolverhampton – live on the Global Home of Boxing, DAZN.
The Super-Welterweight showdown headlines a stacked card at University of Wolverhampton at The Halls, and hometown hero Walker warned local rival Eggington that he will not be stopped in his quest for triumph, as he targets a push for World Title honours in 2026.
Bilal Fawaz, meanwhile, prepares to defend his British & Commonwealth Super Welterweight Titles against Birmingham's Ryan Kelly.
Teenage Featherweight sensation Tiah Mai Ayton steps up against former European Title challenger Stevi Levy, whilst Shannon Ryan takes on Nicola Hopewell with the IBF Intercontinental & Commonwealth Super Flyweight belts at stake.
Another wonderkid is in action with Middleweight prospect Harley 'The Beast' Burrows looking ahead to his pro debut. Plus, the highly-rated Super Welterweight Junaid Bostan makes his eagerly awaited return, as fellow young gun Louie Ward prepares for his second professional contest.
Here's what the fighters had to say at Thursday's Final Press Conference – you can watch it back in full in the video player below:
CONAH WALKER
"It’s been a journey. It’s been a rollercoaster from start to end. In only my fourth fight, I fought an undefeated fighter. Then I fought another undefeated fighter in my fifth fight. It’s just the way I've done things. I don’t like to take the easy route and there were easier options on the table for this. I wanted Sam. I was asking for him last year. Not because I’ve got anything against Sam [Eggington]. I think he’s a great fighter and we get on well outside the ring. But business is business. It sells because we’re both big names from the Midlands. But we’re both household names outside of the Midlands too. And I want to be beating these household names – I want these names on my resumé. Obviously, we wanted the Ekow Essuman fight originally. Again, his name is out there. But that didn’t materialise, so I was pushing for Sam. We had a few back-and-forth messages and we agree together that we wanted the fight. We left it to the managers and then it was all done, signed and sealed. Now we are here.
“Dangerous fighters are people who got it all to lose. It’s the same as what Sam has said, this is my dream job. I’ve got to put food on my table. There’s pressure in every walk of life, not just boxing. It’s everywhere you look. Boxing is what I enjoy and challenging myself is what I love. And this is a big challenge. I’m stepping up in weight and facing a high-risk level fighter, who comes and has it. But these are the fights that get me going. You’ve seen how I train and what sort of shape I come in, so it’s my job now to get past Sam and go on to the next big challenges. We’ve got a big fight on Saturday. He’s definitely going to be there. I know that. But he knows I’m going to be there too and that’s what makes it a great fight. I’ve been having these fights that people didn’t want to take. This is a fight I can really get my teeth stuck into. It’s just a great fight."
SAM EGGINGTON
"I’ve had a lot of fights. I’ve won a lot of belts. I love my job and my motivation is to keep the job I love. The more you lose, you’re going to have to pack it in. So, the fact is I need to carry on winning to keep doing the job I love doing. I get up and I love what I do. It gives me the freedom with my family and stuff like that. So that’s why it is my motivation. I always think the runners in the boxing world is a hard night – but the people who want to come and have a go is meat and drink. I love that stuff and I know Conah is very much the same. It’s why this fight was so easy to make when it was put to the promoter. We snapped it up in a heartbeat. It sells. People know what this is about. Nobody needs to be talked into this because they know what is going to happen on the night. Whether it sets fire in the first or the fourth or the sixth, it is going to set fire. Once it does, it won’t stop until someone falls over or the last bell rings."
BILAL FAWAZ
“Hello everyone, thank you for having me once again. It’s a momentous occasion. Thank you. The last year has been quite sensational. People come to me and want to take pictures. People ask me for a picture for their son on their birthdays. I cannot fathom or comprehend the level of appreciation that we have ascertained. It’s crazy, and I think it’s because we’re the underdog. We only started boxing two and a half years ago. Look what we have, we’re not afraid of anyone.
“You’re coming to get paid. Let me tell you, you cannot understand how much punishment I will rain down on you. I like you as a person. I have a kid, you have a 4 year old daughter – hats off to you. For you to even dream about stepping in that ring against me, it’s embarrassing to me that you think you can come and challenge me. If you do not apologise now, you will apologise in the ring. I’m telling you.”
RYAN KELLY
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to come out the venue on Saturday night with those two straps. I believe I can do it. I’ve got to just do that bit more that’s been missing. He’s looking at me very deep. But, he’ll be looking at me Saturday night. It’s going to be a good fight. I like Bilal Fawz, I’m behind it. It’s good, it’s good for boxing. Saturday we get in there and it’s fisticuffs.
“As a fighter, look, he’s got the British and Commonwealth Titles sat next to him. He’s doing something right. He’s got the people watching him. It’s good for boxing, whether he’s against me or not. But like I say, on Saturday I truly believe I get the win in fashion.”
TIAH MAI AYTON
“I’ve just got stronger and bigger in the last year. I’d been struggling to make weight so me and my team just decided it would be better for me to go up.
“I’m excited because everyone knows about Stevi, everyone knows who she is, and she’s got a big following on Instagram. When I do win on Saturday it’s going to look good for me.
“Definitely I want to make a statement. Loads of the women I’ve fought as a pro – none of them have been stopped and I’ve stopped all of them. It’s like the pressure is off now isn’t it – no KO’s. Nobody is expecting to see it all of the time.
“I reckon I could stop Stevi.”
STEVI LEVY
“Firstly, I want to just say how grateful I am to be here. It’s a chance to show the world the fighter I’ve become since working with Jordan and Paul Gill, my new family. And to be able to share it with my son Morgan – it was his birthday yesterday, happy birthday babe. We’ve been doing ringwalk dances for a couple of years now and he’s chosen this one. We’re so excited to do it on a Matchroom show.
“Secondly, I was to say that I am actually a massive Tiah Ayton fan. I’ve followed her for years and I think she’s incredible. I really do. Feelings aside, Matchroom has always been my dream. I sat here four and a half years ago and said the same thing. I didn’t have any skill back then, no ring IQ, no experience and no self-belief. I’ve got all of that now and I’m extremely confident that I’m going to get the win and shock everyone.”
SHANNON RYAN
“I think both of us facing Emma, I don’t really think it means anything overall. It’s going to be a great fight. I’ve seen Nicola before. She had a good fight and a close fight with Emma Dolan. I haven’t taken Nicola lightly at all. I think it will be a really good fight. I respect her and I’m looking forward to it.
“I think I’m ready (for a World Title fight), before I don’t think I was – how I was as a person, my boxing etc. Whereas now I think I’ve come on leaps and bounds. I’ve changed overall. My maturity is a lot better as well. That is something that I’m definitely looking for – get the win on Saturday night and I’m hoping an IBF World Title can come after that. Clean, good performance and a Shannon Ryan win.”
NICOLA HOPEWELL
“It’s a really good opportunity for me to go back up to Super-Flyweight. We’re boxing for the first title that I boxed for at Super-Flyweight as a pro. So, it’s like full circle for me – and then obviously the IBF on the line as well. It’s really exciting for me. I think she’s a good fighter. It’s a really good match-up. I think it’ll be a really good fight to be fair.”
HARLEY BURROWS
“I’m just taking it all in, I’m excited. Obviously this is what we’ve trained for. This is what you dream of as a young boxer so I’m buzzing. Probably in my first ten fights. I was stopping one every two – with a headguard as well. Then I started training full time. I thought, ‘I’ve got something here, so I may as well give it a go’. Jordan [Gill] said told me not to get carried away and to stick to the plan – which is what I’m going to do. The dream it just to be remembered as one of the great household names, and a knockout artist.”
JUNAID BOSTAN
“I’d say the first quarter of this year has just been about getting my shit together. The second quarter onwards is about getting back on job. Last year was what it was. I think sometimes you have to take a few steps backwards in order to go a dozen forward. I think that’s definitely that. We take the lessons and we move forwards. I’m heavily motivated. A good performance, I do believe I can get this man out inside the distance. Getting back to winning ways again. You’d rather have a shit win than a good loss. I definitely agree with that. I’m here for titles. The two titles I’ve always wanted from boxing is the British Title and a World Title. The guys who’s got the British is the one I don’t think many fans would complain about me being in with for a third fight. All eyes on Saturday.”
LOUIE WARD
“It was a good show. It was a good experience. It came with a lot of pressure, I suppose. My teammate was headlining it, Jimmy was on it as well. Maybe I felt a little bit of pressure. He was a tough opponent and it was good to get the rounds in. It feels a little bit different. I’ll still have nerves on the night, but it’s good to have nerves. I’ve always thought it was a good idea to have some nerves before you go in there, it makes you sharp and aware. I just want to put on another good performance really – a more spiteful one.”
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