The Wray and Nephew 2017 ‘Best of the Best’ Contender Boxing series, that pits Team Jamaica against Team Canada for a share of $3 million and the title of Jamaica’s Junior Middleweight Contender, moves into its semi-final stages tonight, with the activities set to start at 8:30.

Team Jamaica’s number one seed Sakima Mullings, who opened the contest at the preliminary stage, will again do likewise entering the semi-final phase.Mullings, a skilled competitor with some 23 fights under his girth— inclusive of 20 wins against three defeats, will face Team Canada’s undefeated Larone Whyte in tonight’s main event at the Chinese Benevolent Association(CBA) auditorium at 8:30 pm.Though undefeated, Whyte has only three fights to his credit and is up against a fighter with a superior ring record of not only 20 more fights, but also 20 wins as well.To the onlooker this should mean a walkover victory for Mullings, but he is not taking his competitor for granted.“No fight is easy before it is fought. I am here for the long haul. Every man of worth believes in himself and in his ability to endure, and when the bell goes each warrior is on his own. This means that I cannot go into a fight such as this, in the Contender expecting favours.“I am here to defend why I am here and my guess is that my opponent will endeavour to do likewise. I am looking forward to a good Contender and let us see how it turns out from here in,” Mullings said.Mullings and Whyte both scored different victories in their opening bouts to reach the second stage of the Contender series. For his part, Mullings removed Winston “The Punisher” Matthews with a unanimous decision, while it took a close split decision to get Whyte across the line against former Contender champion Devon “Concrete” Moncrieffe.Whyte, who at the time looked a bit ring rusty in his close decision against Moncrieffe, declared after the fight that he will return to the gym immediately following his victory, as there were a few grey areas that were short of work and needed critical attention.Both fighters would now be fighting for one of four semi-final spots going five rounds, and the Canadian wasted little time in getting back into the gym to have his act streamlined. This could, therefore, see the undefeated rookie of three fights returning to the CBA a much- improved performer against Sakima Mullings.One of two amateur fights will open the customary three-fight card at 8:30 pm, with the junior middleweight main event between Mullings and Whyte scheduled to rumble at approximately 9:45 pm.This will follow half-hour or so of a live stage show that primes the audience for an entertaining main event. Which will accompanied by a review of immediate past events along with a preview of and comments from the boxers who will fight in the feature.