Former professional footballers will trade the pitch for the ring when Pro Project Promotions returns to London for A Night to Remember III on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026.
The black-tie charity boxing event will take place at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House on Park Lane. Founded by former Arsenal goalkeeper Graham Stack, Pro Project Promotions has raised more than £201,500 through its first two events and is targeting another major fundraising night in Mayfair.
Fourteen former players have been announced for seven bouts, giving the third installment its deepest lineup to date. The card brings together Premier League veterans, international players and longtime Football League standouts for a series of three-round contests.
Former Tottenham Hotspur and Cameroon defender Sébastien Bassong will face former Arsenal and Senegal fullback Armand Traoré. Elsewhere, former QPR winger Lee Cook meets Martin Woods, Simon Cox faces David Norris, and Harlee Dean takes on returning participant Leroy Lita.
Anthony Gardner will put his unbeaten charity-boxing record on the line against Matthew Briggs. Gary Madine meets Jamie Sendles-White, while Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and Nile Ranger square off in a matchup between two former Arsenal and Newcastle prospects whose careers took difficult turns away from football.
For Stack, the night is built around more than familiar names or sporting nostalgia. It is intended to give retired athletes a demanding goal while directing attention and funding toward charitable causes.
“Every one of these lads has a story worth telling,” Stack said in the event announcement. “All of them are stepping back into a ring for people who need it more than they do.”
That premise has become the foundation of Pro Project Promotions. The organization puts former athletes through a 10-week boxing camp, restoring the routine, accountability and competitive pressure that can disappear after retirement. Fight night becomes the payoff, but the larger purpose is structure, well-being and service.
Several participants arrive with extensive top-level experience. Bassong represented Cameroon at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and played for Tottenham, Newcastle United and Norwich City. Gardner made 142 appearances during eight years at Tottenham and earned an England cap in 2004. Traoré played for Arsenal and Queens Park Rangers before representing Senegal internationally.
Briggs became the youngest Premier League player at the time of his Fulham debut in 2007, while Cox played for the Republic of Ireland and enjoyed productive spells with Swindon Town, West Bromwich Albion and Reading. Lita, a veteran of the inaugural A Night to Remember, returns after a career that included Premier League football and nine England under-21 appearances.
The event will also extend beyond the ring. Guests are scheduled to receive a red-carpet arrival, champagne reception, dinner, live entertainment, a charity auction and an after-fight party. The program is expected to run from 5:30 p.m. until 2 a.m., with tables sold in groups of 10.
The series is also expanding its reach through documentaries chronicling the first two events. The productions are expected to take viewers inside the fighters’ homes and training camps while examining the personal adjustments that follow life in professional sport.
With seven matchups now set, the football credentials are established. The question on Oct. 22 will be which players can adapt when the ball, boots and team structure are gone, and the bell leaves only two people in the ring.
Tickets and table information are available through Pro Project Promotions.
Announced Fight Card
- Sébastien Bassong vs. Armand Traoré
- Lee Cook vs. Martin Woods
- Simon Cox vs. David Norris
- Harlee Dean vs. Leroy Lita
- Anthony Gardner vs. Matthew Briggs
- Gary Madine vs. Jamie Sendles-White
- Jay Emmanuel-Thomas vs. Nile Ranger
Event Details
- Event: A Night to Remember III
- Date: Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026
- Venue: JW Marriott Grosvenor House, London, England
- Format: Black-tie charity boxing event
- Scheduled bouts: Seven three-round contests
- Tickets and tables: ProProjectPromotions.com