By Terence Dooley

The BBBoC’s latest championship circulars have been released and have confirmed a slew of potential fights for the British and English titles as well as announcing a European fight after the Board revealed that Andrew Selby will travel to France for his European flyweight title contest against Vincent Legrand.

Sam Sexton against Hughie Fury, (heavyweight) Matty Askin versus Stephen Simmons (cruiserweight) and Frank Buglioni against Callum Johnson (light-heavyweight) had already been made to in the top three divisions, and the Super middleweight belts remains vacant.  Down at light middleweight, James Metcalf and Asinia Byfield will contest the vacant English title on a Mickey Helliet-promoted bill at a date and venue ‘as yet to be advised’.

Light-welterweight holder Jack Caterall has been order to defend his British belt against Glenn Foot, the purse bids are due in by noon on Wednesday 11 April with the contest to take place ‘by the end of July 2018.  As previously reported, Lewis Ritson will defend his lightweight belt against former holder Scott Cardle on Eddie Hearn’s March 24 show at London’s O2 Arena, the winner must face Paul Hyland Jr. by the end of July after that contest went out to purse bids.

The vacant Super-featherweight title will be on the line when Sam Bowen meets Maxi Hughes at Leicester’s King Power Stadium on a Carl Greaves-promoted bill on April 14.  Featherweight holder Ryan Walsh has been ordered to defend against Isaac Lowe by the end of July.  Frank Warren will promote Super bantamweight champion Thomas Patrick Ward’s defence against Jazza Dickens, date and venue TBC. Joe Ham and Tyrone McCullough has been pitted together in an eliminator for the belt, with bids due in by April 11—the vacant Celtic title will be on the line for that one.  Josh Wales’s bantamweight title defence against Ukashir Farooq has also been confirmed for Friday April 13 at the Doncaster Dome on a Stefy Bull bill.

In English title news, Arfan Iqbal’s cruiserweight title defence against Simon Vallily has been postponed after the title-holder suffered an injury, promoter Nisse Sauerland will provide a new date and venue in due course.  Liam Conroy will defend his light-heavyweight belt against Miles Shinkwin on a Johnney Lee Roye-promoted show at the Preston Guildhall on March 31.  Frank Warren has won the right to stage Darryll Williams’s 168lb title defence against Lennox Clark, it will take place at the O2 Arena on April 14.  At middleweight, Elliott Matthews is still looking for an opponent after no bids were received for the eliminator between Tyler Denny and Matthew Ryan.

The vacant light-welterweight title will be resolved on April 21 when Sam O’Maison and Jordan Cooke vie for the belt at Bramall Lane after Clifton Mitchell’s request to stage the contest was granted by the Board.  Kayamba Prospere and Nathan Weise will fight an eliminator for the title on May 19 at York Hall, Steve Goodwin will promote that one.  Mitchell also won the right to put on Myron Mills against Marcus Ffrench for the vacant lightweight belt after the title was declared vacant, they will meet on Friday May 4 in Derby.  Super bantamweight title-holder Josh Kennedy will meet Lucian Reid on a Frank Warren, date and venue TBA.

In European news, the vacant flyweight contest between Andrew Selby and Vincent Legrand will take place at the Salle Theo Bouton in Douai, France after Europrom won the purse bids, a date of April 28 has been set.  The Board also had a message for any promoter who wished to bid for an EBU title fight, stating: ‘There are very strict terms and conditions that apply to all promoters who wish to bid for European Championships including the lodging of a cash bond with the British Boxing Board of Control equivalent to the sum of 6,500 Euro.  Any promoter not familiar with these should contact the General Secretary in good time beforehand’.

Liam Cameron will defend his Commonwealth middleweight title against Danny Butler in Sheffield on April 13 after promoter Dennis Hobson secured the fights to stage the fight.

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