Meet the students fighting in this year’s King of the Ring

Another year, another round of King of the Ring. Last year we saw a vicious battle between Oxford uni and Brookes but this time round it is all on home ground, with only some Uni of Oxford mixed in of course.

On the 9th March, our amateur boxers will be hitting the ring in Kassam Stadium and they are looking for blood.

Most of these students have been training for weeks now, with a couple of new faces appearing along the way, but the day has nearly arrived. Here is the line-up for the evening and what the fighters have to say.

Karlis Angelo-Moyo Teteris, Third Year, Business Management Vs Oli Bidwell, Third Year, Business and Management

Karlis: I love Oli like a brother and I respect him for taking this fight at short notice but inside that ring that all goes out the window.

He's been talking a very big game so I hope he has the ability to match, doubtful, I'd rather stay humble, put on a show and let my hands do the talking.

Oli: He's a good kid, but talking a lot of smack. To be honest, I can't take a kid who sounds like he was named by dyslexic Cuban seriously.

Even with me having half the training camp, those extra pounds he's piling on to make big boy weight, will just make him slower and easier for me slowly pick him apart and slap the head off him. It's men against boys; I'm gonna sleep this fool.

Suf Rahman, First Year, Real Estate Management Vs Neil Stephenson, Second Year, Business and Management

Suf: I reckon the fight will go distance. I'm just gonna let him do all the talking in build up and not give too much away.

Neil: I'm very excited for the fight, I think it will be competitive. I had to fill in for someone but I've been working hard to come out with a win.

Cordelia Bentley, Third Year, Business Management Vs Songi Bongs, Third Year, International Hospitality Management

Songi: What I think of my opponent? No judgement.

Jack Ferrari, Third Year, Business and Management with Politics Vs Felix Munn, First Year, Real Estate Management

Jack: I’m fighting Felix who is one of my hockey freshers, we are well matched and I’m looking forward to the fight.

Felix: I’m excited to get in the ring with Ferrari, should be a good fight and experience. He’ll be a tough opponent but I’m excited to get stuck in.

Tristan Knight, Third Year, Biology Vs Jim Davis, Third Year, Engineering

Tristan: It will be weird to fight a mate but nobody signs up to lose.

Jim: He’s my mate which will be weird and I think the fight's going to be a tough one, but I’m not planning on losing it.

Rob Spencer, Third Year, Athropology Vs James Shirley, Third Year, Business Marketing Management

Saskia Lewis, Second Year, Early Childhood Studies Vs Jess Brooks, Third Year, Sports Science

Saskia: I'm feeling pretty good about the fight, I mean she plays netball so she's probably used to getting hit in the face… I am just kidding she's a lovely girl, will be a decent fight and looking forwward to gettting in the ring with her.

Filipe Ribeiro, Second Year, Accounting and Finance Vs Phillipe de Clauzade, Third Year, International Business Management

Filipe: I think the fight's going to be explosive and brutal. He seems like a decent lad, excited to battle it out with him.

Phillipe: The fight will be the bloodiest of the night. I have nothing to say about my opponent I am completely emotionless. It could be him or anyone, I would not care. Obviously, I haven’t gone through all this pain to go there and lose.

Nathanael Briggs, Third Year, Biomedical Science Vs Seb Haddock, Third Year, Biochemistry at Uni of Oxford

Nathanael: That ogre don't stand a chance.

Seb: And about the fight, I am coming in pretty undercooked compared to Nat considering the difference in training times, but I have been playing rugby so my fitness is up there and am not concerned about that. Obviously the crowd is going to be in his favour so I’m expecting a fair bit of hostility but hopefully I will just get the job done and silence the crowd.

Jason Murphy, Third Year, International Business Management Vs Dimitry Broski, Third Year, Sociology and Anthropology

Jason: I reckon it’s going to be a tough fight but with support from my trainers, Mike Hunt and Wayne King, I should alright. Dimitry is a good bloke and I’m excited to see what happens in the ring.

Dimitry: I think the fight will be tough, but with all the training I feel prepared but you never know what is going to happen. I have a lot of respect for Jason and look forward our fight. I fear no failure as long as it remains a true gentlemen’s sport.

Alim Aker, Third Year, Music Technology Vs Snappy Magor Elliot, Postgrad, Cardiovascular Sciences at Uni of Oxford

Alim: I trained hard, worked hard and with my opponent out pre-fight due to a concussion, I'm now fighting a new opponent from Oxford University. Fairplay to him for signing up this late. But when you're in the ring, only you and your training matters.

Let's see if he can challenge me. One thing is for sure though – he's going to have a tough time fighting me.