But underneath the headline act and his dance with the wiry Brandon Figueroa, a new generation of stars are stretching their wings.

Ste Clarke may not have made the waves that some of his fellow Merseyside men have conjured so far as they step up the ladder.

But quietly and smartly, the Everton fan is building his own blocks, bricks of experience that he hopes can pave the road to glory.

The Ring

Yet even as he returns to the M&S Bank Arena, he admits he still can't quite bring himself to call the venue by its current name.

"We still call it the Echo Arena!" he laughs down the line. "It's always been known as the Echo, so I think people just keep on using it.

"It's fight number three there, and a boss arena to fight in. Liverpool always gets behind you. I'm grateful to fight there again."

Headline dreams fire star's hopes

Clarke is keen to step back into the ring, despite a quick turnaround. Only a handful of months have elapsed since he last fought.

There's a hunger behind his eyes that tells the story he attempts to tell with more measured words though. He has crucial intent.

As Ball defends his WBA featherweight crown and Andrew Cain takes aim at a bantamweight title, the younger man is itching for the chase.

"They're doing unbelievable at the moment," he notes. "You want to follow in their footsteps. Nick Ball has headlined a few times here now.

"That's what I'd like to do in the future. Being there is great. It gives you the motivation that you want to aim for that and headline one day."

That may be some time away for Clarke, but his ambition is plain to see, as he prepares for his latest professional dance in the ring.

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Having only left his amateur days behind at the start of 2024, he has clocked up eight straight victories since his debut, several in arenas.

Such big-hall success has helped ground his skills, with his talents now set to be turned against Welshman Lewis Howells this weekend.

With a 3-5 record, the latter clearly is the outsider, but Clarke is determined to highlight such numbers are merely that as he eyes his foe.

"I've seen little bits of him," he adds. "He comes to have a go. I'll have to stay switched on but that will bring the best out of me as well.

"Everyone I've been in with, they've hardly been stopped. They're tough men and they're there to survive. This is my first eight-rounder.

"I started my camp just before Christmas. It was fine. I like to keep busy. It keeps your mind occupied. There's a purpose to it.

"As the rounds stack up, and the opponents get stronger, you'll see a better Ste Clarke come out, because I'll be able to break them down."

Ready to keep relentless pace

Clarke wants victory here to be the stepping stone to another action-packed year, one where he can put himself in the frame for regional titles.

The pace remains impressive, particularly when several of his fellow Merseyside fighters can spend a whole year between their major bouts.

Is there any concern that he could burn out with such speed however? Clarke does not believe so, keen to make the most of time on his side.

"I like staying active," he shrugs. "Three to four fights a year, that's perfect for me. As I step up, I understand that they'll become more infrequent.

"But I like the pace we're going at. I like staying active. It gives you purpose in the gym. I'm enjoying the speed that we're going at."

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It is a speed that will only continue to push the needle if everything goes to plan across from the Irish Sea on Saturday night.

Clarke knows he can place another brick on the road ahead of him too - and he hopes that a vocal hometown crowd can push him on once more.

"Scousers, they get behind each other," he grins. "Everyone shouts for you, whether you know them or not. They get behind their own."

That they do - and in a city famed for its football rivalries, perhaps it is ready for another rising star to unite both red and blue under one banner again.

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