A BRADFORD boxer is ‘feeling great’ about his upcoming fight this weekend.

Light heavyweight, Francis Kershaw, 23 is hoping to secure his fourth career win this Saturday against Luke Blackledge.

The fight will be taking place at Oldham Leisure Centre and Kershaw is feeling ‘confident’.

Kershaw is going into Saturday’s fight undefeated with a record of three wins and one knockout.

He said: “I’m feeling great, confident.

“I feel like it’s the right time for this fight and I’m confident in my boxing abilities. It’s just perfect.”

When asked what it was about him that tipped him over his previous opponent Oliver Brackenbury-Danquah, 30 from Scunthorpe, *in June this year, Kershaw said: “My speed, my boxing abilities, my power and my toughness.”

Kershaw’s opponent Blackledge hasn’t fought since April last year when he beat Wycombe King.

This is his toughest fight yet as Blackledge has been boxing for 12 years, with 27 wins, nine knockouts, 12 losses and two draws under his belt.

In preparation for his fight, Kershaw has been working on his sparring saying, ‘sparring has been better.’

He added: “I’ve been training the same, doing what I did do but I’m keeping my cards close to my chest.

“I’m always confident going in and obviously I want a massive win.”

The self-employed twenty-three-year-old from Bradford trains at Osta’s boxing based in Pudsey and aims to climb the rankings as quickly as he can.

Kershaw made his boxing debut in October last year at the Oldham Leisure Centre against Ryan Hibbert who had only won two of his 27 fights.

He said: “The dream is to get to the top; my boxing ambitions are to get the fights with the big pay”

Getting ready for the fight on Saturday, Kershaw is looking to get plenty of sleep and listen to some good music.

“ Before the fight I’ll probably listen to something a bit groovy with a baseline; what us Bradford people listen to”

Also fighting this weekend is Bradford’s Hamed Ghaz, for the first time since losing his English lightweight title bout against Reece Mould in February.

His fight in Oldham on November 25 will be a more low-key affair, but Ghaz feels it is just what he needs, ahead of a potentially money-spinner out in Abu Dhabi in January.

It has been a frustrating period out of action for the Bradfordian, who is getting sick of boxers, including himself, being let down by late postponements, especially on small hall shows.

Bradford’s Dan Garber will also be looking to secure his sixth career win on Saturday in Dublin against 28-year-old Thomas Carty from Ireland.

Garber has won five of his last six matches, with his last fight in May this year.