Big news brewing for super-featherweight fighter Joshua Holmes - cited as the best boxer to come out of the area!

The 41-year-old Dubliner isn’t able to let the cat out of the bag just yet, but he confirmed that the announcement will be career-defining for boxer Josh Holmes

Maree – who ran Maree Boxing out of the Stirk House in Gisburn – has now switched his focus to the managerial side of the sport, pulling together a deep pool of talented athletes.

And the 5-0 phenomenon Holmes, who fights out of the Phoenix Camp, is one of more than 40 fighters on his books.

“There’ll be a big announcement on Josh soon,” said Maree.

“We’ve got him an exciting deal.

“It’s big news for him and it’ll be a great platform to help him really kick on.

“He’s done unbelievably through lockdown.

“He’s not wasted any time, he’s stayed professional, lived the right life, ate the right things and tried to improve every area, even when he carried a hand injury.

“Even when he was waiting for that to heal after the operation he was going to the gym and training the hand that he could use.

“A lot of boxers would have just waited for that to heal and stayed at home watching Netflix.

“Josh was still in the gym every day.

“When you see things like that it’s exactly what you want from a young boxer.

“He’s incredible and now he’s getting his reward for that. He’ll be ready to kick on.”

Holmes, who competes in the super-featherweight division, is already making waves at 130lbs having made light work of the opposition put in front of him.

The 25-year-old made his debut just over two years ago when outpointing Naheem Ali at King George’s Hall having dropped the journeyman in the first round.

He went on to outclass Dylan Draper, Edward Bjorklund and Jamie Quinn on home shows before the ex-Eastburn ABC operator enhanced his reputation with victory over Levi Dunn on Denis Hobson’s “Straightener in the Car Park” outside the FlyDSA Arena in Sheffield.

Speaking about the former two-time Yorkshire Area champion, Maree said: “They made a real fuss out of Josh because he really impressed them when he went down there.

“He behaved well around the hotel and in the bubble, he sold tickets, performed well, looked the part so they liked him.

“I like Josh a lot. He’ll improve massively because of his attitude.

“He’s just simmering at the moment but once we move him on he’ll really improve.

“He’s got that star quality, he’s definitely one to watch out for.

“I think he’ll go really far. He’s the best that we’ve had in our area.

“Technically he’s better than what we’ve had in this East Lancashire patch.”