The Heritage, Excell sponsors Michael McKinson ahead of DAZN Fight Night

Portsmouth boxer Michael “The Problem” McKinson visited Excell Metal Spinning Ltd this week as The Heritage, Excell confirmed its official sponsorship ahead of his upcoming fight against Mohammed Sahnoun, live on DAZN on Friday 1 May 2026.

McKinson, one of the city's most recognisable professional fighters, was welcomed to Excell’s factory in Hilsea, where he met the team and was given a behind-the-scenes look at the craftsmanship behind The Heritage, Excell, the company’s British-made tin-lined copper cookware range.

The Heritage, Excell is produced by Excell Metal Spinning Ltd, combining traditional hand metal spinning with a British supply chain to create heirloom-quality copper cookware. The sponsorship sits under the wider Excell Metal Spinning business, but the official sponsor for McKinson’s upcoming fight is The Heritage, Excell.

During his visit, McKinson was shown the traditional skills behind the cookware range, as well as Excell’s wider metal spinning capabilities. The visit marked the beginning of a new partnership between McKinson and The Heritage, Excell, with the Portsmouth-made cookware brand officially sponsoring the fighter as he prepares to return to the ring against undefeated Algerian prospect Mohammed Sahnoun.

For The Heritage, Excell, the sponsorship is about more than brand visibility. It is a chance to support a local sportsman who reflects many of the same values behind the cookware: discipline, resilience, patience, craftsmanship and pride in doing things properly.

During his visit, McKinson said he was surprised by the level of skilled manufacturing taking place so close to where he trains.

Michael McKinson said: “It's crazy to think that all of this happens in Portsmouth, around the corner from where I actually train. I never knew that.”

After meeting the team and seeing the work involved first-hand, McKinson said the craftsmanship had made a strong impression on him.

“I was expecting to come in here and see a lot of machines doing the work, but the fact you’ve got people doing it themselves, I’m very impressed with that.”

He added: “It’s a small company that does remarkable things.”

Reflecting on the sponsorship, McKinson said the personal relationship with the team was important to him. “It means a lot. I feel very grateful for you guys being part of my career now. The fact I’ve been invited down, met everyone and been shown what you do means it’s going to be a good relationship.”

Curtis Bligh of The Heritage, Excell said: “Michael is a Portsmouth fighter through and through, so we’re proud that The Heritage, Excell is officially sponsoring him ahead of such a big opportunity on DAZN.

“The Heritage, Excell is about British craftsmanship, patience and doing things properly. Boxing and cookware might seem like two completely different worlds, but there are a lot of shared values. It takes discipline, repetition, skill and pride in the detail.

“Having Michael visit the factory meant a lot to the team. It gave us the chance to show him where the cookware is made, the people behind it, and the traditional metal spinning skills that go into every piece.

“As a Portsmouth-made brand, it means a great deal to support someone representing the city on an international stage. We’ll all be behind him on fight night.”

McKinson has spoken openly about the patience required during recent stages of his career, having waited for the right opportunity to return to the ring. During his visit, he said that patience was something he could relate to when watching skilled manufacturing in action.

“Patience has been the story of my life over the last couple of years,” he said. “I’ve had to be very patient in getting my next opportunity. At times it has been frustrating and hard, but I can definitely relate to having to be patient.”

The sponsorship brings together two Portsmouth stories: a local boxer preparing to represent the city internationally, and a British-made cookware brand produced in Portsmouth using traditional craft skills.

McKinson will face Mohammed Sahnoun on Friday 1 May 2026, live on DAZN, as part of the Chaos in the Ring event in Lagos, Nigeria.