PROFESSIONAL boxing will return to Southend for the first time in close to 19 years tomorrow.

The Skylark Hotel will host the British Warriors Promotions event, which is expected to attract up to 400 boxing fans.

Four bouts will take place on the historic night, with two Basildon-born fighters looking to make an impression.

And Derek Waddell, a match maker sanctioned by the British Boxing Board of Control, has admitted that it will be good to see professional boxing back in Essex.

Waddell said: “We are expecting between 300 and 400 people to come to the event.

“We are looking to develop boxing in the Southend and Basildon area, and we are in talks to host another event at the Basildon Sporting Village in June.

“We have two Basildon-born boxers who will be fighting tomorrow and a third - Sam Stokes - has told us that he wants to be involved in our next event.

“He is unfit at the moment so couldn’t be involved this time, but he wants to be at the next one.”

The last professional boxing event saw Georgie Smith lose to Charlie Kane on points at the Southend Leisure & Tennis Centre in October 1998.

Smith was involved in three bouts at the Southend venue, where he also beat Rimvydas Bilius and retained the Southern Area Super Lightweight title by defeating Richie Edwards in September 1997.

The Basildon-born boxer also enjoyed four bouts in his own backyard, as he got the better of Shaba Edwards, Wayne Jones, Rudi Valentino and Gary Beardsley at Basildon’s Festival Hall between 1995 and 1996.

Tomorrow’s event will see Basildon’s Davis Pagan go head-to-head with Poland’s Sylwester Walczak.

The super welterweight match-up will see the rivals compete in six three minute rounds.

Darrel Church will take on the Czech Republic based boxer Josef Obeslo in a light heavyweight match made up of four three minute rounds.

Church withdrew from his scheduled fight with Richard Harrison at Bethnel Green’s York Hall earlier this month due to illness, but the 27-year-old Witham-born man will now compete in his home county for the first time in his two-and-a-half year long professional career.

Another Basildon boxer will be in action at the Skylark Hotel tomorrow as Lewis Adams will come up against Anto Nakic in the ring.

Adams will be looking to secure a debut win in the lightweight match-up consisting of four three minute rounds.

An exhibition fight between Kian Thomas and Harrison will also take place on professional boxing’s return to Southend.