Brooklyn Tilley may not be fancied by the bookies but the Rainham boxer is confident of success as he takes part in the BOXXER Series this Saturday.

The one-night, eight-man tournament is described by organisers as “one of the toughest tests of professional boxing” but success will not only be lucrative financially but could open up many opportunities for the winner. Tilley must overcome the most experienced of the eight fighters to progress past the opening round after being drawn against West Midlands' Shaun Cooper.

Designed for up-and-coming prospects, Tilley fits the bill. He’s the 20-1 outsider with Bet365 ahead of the tournament, which is broadcast live on Sky Sports, but insists he’s right at home against the seven other hopeful lightweights.

He said: “I think I am up there with them and my trainer wouldn’t have put me in it otherwise, if he didn’t think I could win it.

“It is a massive platform for us and I would have been silly to say no to a chance like that. There are a few nerves but that is a good thing, I had a media day, I felt like I should be there, it was quite good.”

Tilley stood face-to-face with with Cooper on Thursday after the draw and responded to bold claims from is more experienced opponents.

Seasoned pro Cooper, with 15 fights under his belt, boasted: “I’ll take him to deep waters where he’s never been, I’ve been there, box his head off!

Cooper has won 12 of those bouts but three of the defeats came from knock outs and Tilley wasn't worried by the Walsall man's bravado, saying: "I’ve been sparring some big boys, English champion (Billy Allington) and Lenny Fuller, so I’ve been to the deep waters…I’m going to out-box him."

Tilley’s professional journey started after switching from mixed martial arts, making his debut at welterweight in September 2019 but Covid disrupted his plans and two fights in he had to take a break. He dropped to lightweight for his return, taking his record to 3-0 with a points win over Jamie Quinn at the Maidstone Leisure Centre in March.

All three of his fights have taken place in the county town but it will be a new experience with journey north this weekend, cheered on by a handful of loyal supporters while others watch on back in Kent. He took a month off from working within the building trade, training twice a week in preparation for his big day.

“I needed that month off to prepare,” said the 22-year-old. “I have trained hard. I had just two days off from my last fight and then went straight back in the gym.

“I feel naturally good at this weight but do have to work a bit harder sometimes. I am not looking past this tournament but I might even drop another to super-feather. I feel strong at this weight, I will see how the tournament goes, if this is the weight for me then I will stick to this one."

The eight fighters will face three three-minute rounds in a knockout format. Quarter-final winners progress to the semi-final and then into a final, all on one evening. The idea is to produce fast-paced, explosive contests, as boxers seek to score definitive wins and secure their passage to the next stage.

Kent Gloves boxer Tilley already has another date lined up, pencilled into compete against in Maidstone on June 25.

BOXXER - The Lightweights draw: Otis Lookham v Dylan Cheema, Tion Gibbs v Scott Melvin, Rylan Charlton v Joe Hughes, Shaun Cooper v Brooklyn Tilley.