Friday 26 June 2015 11:01, UK
Liverpool has always produced high quality boxers, with world champions like John Conteh. As the new breed picks up the torch, The Panel reflects on their experiences of boxing in the city and looks ahead to a big night at the Echo Arena.
This Friday, the new breed are in town. Highly-rated Callum Smith - one of four boxing brothers from the city - Tony Bellew and Rocky Fielding are all hoping to capture the imagination of their fellow Liverpudlians when they take on Christopher Rebrasse, Ivica Bacurin and Brian Vera respectively.
There's also Martin Murray from St Helens just down the road. He makes his super-middleweight debut against George Beroshvili.
What does The Panel know about Liverpool's boxing scene?
The Smith brothers and other fighters such as Bellew and Fielding have really helped boxing come to life in Liverpool lately. You can see the fans appreciate it.
Even in the amateur days it was always a hotbed for fighting and now the sport is back in its rightful place in the city.
I always loved going to Liverpool to fight. Even in the amateur days it was always a hotbed for fighting and now the sport is back in its rightful place in the city.
It'll be a great atmosphere on Friday night and I can't wait for the action to start. The fans always get behind their fighters and the support will be vocal.
It's a brilliant atmosphere, I've got to say. Every time I boxed in Liverpool I got a great welcome. Scousers seem to love me for some reason - even though I'm a Manc! I've always got on great with them.
Every time I boxed in Liverpool I got a great welcome. Scousers seem to love me for some reason - even though I'm a Manc!
My greatest memory boxing in Liverpool was obviously winning the British title there. I took the fight at five days notice and won the British title there for the first time.
It was the moment that changed my career. It will always have a special place in my heart. I lost the ABA north-west counties final there so I thought I'd have similar luck when I went back there, but it wasn't to be that night.
I went over there and did a great job to beat Michael Jones on points, so it's a special place for me.
Boxing in Liverpool has always been brilliant. The crowd up there are fantastic. I boxed up there myself and I used to love it.
The crowd up there are fantastic. I boxed up there myself and I used to love it.
It's a city that has always produced fighters. Right back from the days of John Conteh and Paul Hodgkinson and now you've got the current crop at the moment.
Boxing is booming in Liverpool.
Liverpool has always been a great boxing place. I like going there. You know they know their boxing when as soon as you walk in the station, or walk in a shop, everyone says 'Hiya Glenn.'
Every time you get in a taxi in Liverpool, the guys know as much as you about the boxing. They're a very knowledgeable boxing crowd.
Every time you get in a taxi in Liverpool, the guys know as much as you about the boxing. They're a very knowledgeable boxing crowd.
They've produced some great fighters. It's very much a working-class city so they love their sport - their football and their boxing.
There is lots of boxing in the city. The Smiths haven't quite made it yet and it's all set up for Callum to be a star in Liverpool.
Liverpool is also famous for giving birth to The Beatles, the band that took the pop charts by storm in the 1960s... so we asked our Panel which of the Fab Four would fare best with the gloves on.
Glenn says: I think John Lennon would win. I can't see Paul McCartney wielding the gloves very well. I think Lennon would knock them all out.
George Harrison was all about peace and love, so I think he'd just sit down in the neutral corner, put on a necklace of flowers and stay there.
Ringo might have a shout - I think he's got a bit of a left hook on him!
Johnny says: Well... John Lennon would have won the tournament. He was the one who always thought outside the box and he always dared to do something different.
I think Ringo Starr would have been bottom of the pile. Sorry Ringo. I then think Paul McCartney would edge Ringo and then George Harrison would be just behind John.
Spencer says: I think John Lennon would actually finish last because he used to enjoy himself a little bit too much.
This is a difficult one. I guess I'll have to go for Ringo Starr as the winner because he's spent so many years building up those muscles behind the drumkit!
Jamie says: I'm really not a big Beatles fan so I wouldn't like to say!
Watch Callum Smith v Christopher Rebrasse, Tony Bellew v Ivica Bacurin, Martin Murray v George Beroshvili, Rocky Fielding v Brian Vera live on Friday from 7.30pm, Sky Sports 1
