LONDON, June 11: London’s Olympic Park will stage professional boxing in September at the Copper Box Arena, a venue that hosted handball and fencing in the modern pentathlon during last year’s games.

A multi-fight agreement was struck on Monday for Sept 21 at the 7,000-seat venue nicknamed the “box that rocks” during the Olympics, including a British middleweight title bout between champion Billy Joe Saunders and John Ryder.

The organisers hope the deal will re-establish east London as “the spiritual home of boxing in the UK” and demonstrate to tax-payers that venues constructed for the Olympics can have lasting benefits.—AP