ROBBIE TURLEY boxed a future world champion when he locked horns with Carl Frampton in 2011. Now, in one of the year’s more unlikely match-ups, he will box a past world champion, Panama’s former WBC and WBA titlist Anselmo Moreno. The two meet in an eight rounder at the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield on March 28, a bill topped by Kell Brook’s world title defence.

Eddie Hearn, who promotes the show, explained, “The Panamanians came over for the Jamie McDonnell fight, the last time he boxed, and said we’d like to work with you, we’d like to be on one of your shows. I said I’m not really sure how it works, they said they’d get funding from the Panama government and pay for the fight. I’m a Moreno fan, he’s a great fighter so I said alright then. Then it was the case of finding an opponent and I thought what’s the point of getting a Frenchman, you’ve got a Panamanian against a Frenchman over eight rounds in Sheffield. So at least get a Brit. It’s a good chance for Robbie Turley.”

Moreno would ultimately like to fight Jamie McDonnell, although the Yorkshireman is expected to nail down a fight with WBO bantamweight boss Tomoki Kameda.

Eddie Hearn said, “[Moreno] would love to fight McDonnell, that was why he was here in the first place. It’s not necessarily something I’m planning for the future but he’s a quality fighter and the chance came to put him on the card and I thought why not.”

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