Exclusive: Yassine El Maachi to box Bradley Pryce

2010 could finally be the year Yassine El Macchi has been waiting for with the news that he will face Welshman Bradley Pryce at York Hall on April 24 as part of the Goodwin Promotion show.

Steve (Goodwin) is the man and money behind Yassine after offering a £15,000 reward for anyone who can beat the boastful Moroccan after learning of El Macchi’s difficulties in getting top opponents to face him.

“I’ve been following him since last year,” said an excited Goodwin "and want to turn Yassine into a marketable commodity.”

This is Goodwin’s debut year as a promoter and he intends on making rapid strides by putting on quality events and with Yassine looking to make a name for himself it looks like a win-win deal.

I had a word with Yassine this morning as he was on route to signing the fight contract at his Finchley gym and he was in his usual optimistic mood when I asked if he thinks he’ll win.

“I will beat him. I’m not thinking because that means maybe. I can think to fly but I can’t fly.”

Interestingly, Pryce is trained by a character of similar nature, none other than Enzo Calzaghe.

El Macchi visited his Newbridge gym last year and impressed him.

“Calzaghe knows how good I am. He knows how I fight. It’s a risk for his boy.”

Yassine claims that Enzo pulled one of his fighters out of an up-coming match after he was shown up by him in sparring.

Yassine is expecting to sell up to 400 tickets for the intriguing bout.  Pryce was made to look very ordinary in the semi-final of the recent Prizefighter by eventual winner Prince Arron but has a very classy pedigree.  El Maachi's log comes absolutely nowhere near on paper.  That might not matter come the time of the first bell.

This forges the plan of Goodwin Promotions who are intent on giving the light-middleweight the break into the big time as his chances have remained limited due to him not being able to fight for British, Commonwealth or European titles.

If everything goes Yassine’s way he could be fighting for a major world title in 18 months.

Yassine has been talking the talk; now’s his chance to walk the walk.