Former world champion Tony Bellew and heavyweight contender David Price will support a charity boxing event on April 17 at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool, where former professional footballers will step into the ring for a good cause.
Organised by Pro Project Promotions and founded by former Arsenal goalkeeper Graham Stack, the initiative aims to give retired players renewed structure and purpose after football while raising significant funds for charity. The first event generated £127,500, and organisers are now targeting more than £120,000 for Children’s Charity Merseyside and Autism Merseyside at the upcoming show, billed A Night to Remember II.
“The city will be bouncing during the Merseyside derby weekend, and I can’t wait to showcase 10 ex-professional footballers battling it out once again in the ring,” Stack said. He confirmed the presence of “Tony Bellew, The Smith Brothers, David Price, and Natasha Jonas,” while Johnny Nelson will host a boxing Q&A and judge the bouts alongside Steve Bunce, with Ian Saint John serving as referee. A football Q&A featuring Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher and Everton’s Francis Jeffers will also form part of the evening.
On the card, former Stoke City, Wolves and Burnley striker Chris Iwelumo faces Swansea favourite Lee Trundle. Ex-Wolves goalkeeper Carl Ikeme meets former QPR and Blackburn defender Bradley Orr, while Ross McCormack, formerly of Leeds, Fulham and Aston Villa, takes on ex-Leeds and Sheffield United defender Matthew Kilgallon.
The white-collar contests will see the former professionals trade boots for boxing gloves in bouts focused on fundraising and community impact, as organisers push toward their long-term £500,000 target.
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