Lee Cutler Targets Homecoming Bout Following Stephen McKenna Fight

Light-middleweight boxer Lee Cutler is scheduled to face Stephen McKenna this Saturday in Liverpool. Cutler has revealed that he received an assurance of a headline homecoming fight in Bournemouth, contingent on his victory over McKenna. Their match will take place as part of the undercard for Natasha Jonas’ fight in Liverpool, where Jonas will attempt to unify her IBF title with Ivana Habazin’s WBC welterweight crown. Cutler, known as “The Chaos”, has not competed for a year. His last fight was in December 2023, when he defeated Londoner Kingsley Egbunike to secure the English title. The 28-year-old boxer recounted that during a recent visit to Saudi Arabia, where he was supporting his gym mate Chris Billam-Smith, he spoke with promoter Ben Shalom, who committed to featuring Cutler as a headliner should he win on Saturday. “This has always been the goal but I’m trying not to focus on that too much,” Cutler told BBC Sport. “I’ve got to get through Stevie first and when I do I’ll be going up to Ben and making sure he does make that happen for me.” He added, “I feel I was meant to be in this position at this time of my life and I’m now ready for the biggest fight of my career.” Cutler trains at the McGuigan gym, led by trainer Josh Pritchard. He relocated to London over a year ago, having previously trained at a local gym in Dorset following the summer of 2023. Over the last year, he has engaged in sparring and preparation sessions with fellow boxers including gym mate Adam Azim and Jimmy Sains, and also with Chris Eubank Jr prior to his last fight. With 14 professional victories, his record includes only one loss. This sole defeat was a TKO against Bradley Rea, now a light-heavyweight, in 2021. Cutler previously competed on the undercard of the Chris Billam-Smith versus Lawrence Okolie event at Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium. McKenna’s last fight saw him defeat Joe Laws at Barnsley FC’s Oakwell home. This memorable contest featured both fighters being knocked down in the opening round. “This is the sort of fight that propels me to the next level,” Cutler stated. He continued, “It’s going to be an entertaining fight, it can’t not be with both of our styles. I hope it won’t be as entertaining as his previous fight with Joe Laws but I’m confident at coming away with the victory.” Regarding future aspirations, he added, “The British title is something that I want down the line, I’ve won the Southern Area and the English title and the British is something I would really like.” He concluded, “But first I’ve got to win this WBC International title that Stevie has and that would give me a world ranking with the WBC, it is all a step in the right direction.” McKenna maintains an undefeated professional record, boasting 15 wins, 14 of which were by knockout. Following his English title victory in late 2023, Cutler relinquished the belt due to a series of injuries and cancelled bouts. Despite experiencing a challenging 2024, he aims to conclude the year successfully. “It’s been a really tough year in and out of the ring,” Cutler added. “I’m focused on getting the job done, which I will do. I’m very confident at what we’ve been doing in the gym.”