Butcher goes Stateside

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Ex-pat Whanganui boxer Robert Berridge will have another big opportunity to fight in the United States this month as the southpaw has been linked to undefeated Ukrainian Oleksandr Gvozdyk.

Berridge (27-4-1) announced the international bout on Facebook at the end of last week, and will meet the 2012 Olympic light heavyweight bronze medalist at the Pioneer Event Center in Lancaster, California, on July 16.

Debuting as a professional in April 2014, Gvozdyk has amassed a 10-0 record with eight knockouts.

He is ranked 14th in the world by the neutral BoxRec website.

"We are always ready to fight the best," Berridge said on Facebook.

"Mean Sunday [training] session with the lads, feeling good for this fight in America, still a little way to go but will definitely peak by the 16th."

It will be Berridge's second fight in America after the devastating fifth round TKO defeat to Russian Vasily Lepikhin in July 2014.

The opportunity to fight another high-ranked opponent comes during a busy period for Berridge, who will face Tauranga's Jonathan Taylor (2-3) at Westlake Boys' High School on August 13, which is a warmup to Berridge defending his NZPBA title against rival Adrian Taihia (15-1-2) at the same venue on October 26.