By Elliot Foster

Ryan Walsh will defend his British title in the coming months.

The featherweight champion learned of his return via social media last month but has now had his opponent confirmed.

Walsh, who fell short in a challenge for the vacant European crown against Dennis Ceylan of Denmark last October, is scheduled to be showcased exclusively live on BT Sport & BoxNation.

The 30-year-old, from Norfolk, will defend his crown for the third –– and with a win will keep it –– against Marco McCullough (16-3, 10 KOs).

McCullough, who will have a warm-up fight on March 10 at the Waterfront Hall venue in his home city, was offered a fight with WBC International featherweight champion Josh Warrington, to take place at Leeds’ First Direct Arena on May 13, but the Belfast man will instead come up against Walsh a week earlier, on May 6, at the Copper Box Arena in London.

The fight was confirmed in the latest British Boxing Board of Control British championships notice and will take place as part of a card which is set to be headed by Bradley Skeete in a mandatory defence of his British welterweight title against Shayne Singleton and a rematch in the super-featherweight division between Mitchell Smith and George Jupp as the former looks to gain revenge on the latter.

Elsewhere in the Board circular for February, Jack Arnfield was replaced by Reece Cartwright in an eliminator for the British middleweight belt.

Arnfield, the WBA International champion who is set take on Brian Rose in a defence of his title on March 25 at Manchester Arena, exclusively live on Sky Sports as part of the undercard to the rematch between Jorge Linares and Anthony Crolla, had been nominated to face Elliott Matthews, with the winner in line to face Tommy Langford, the current holder of the Lonsdale belt.

But after Arnfield tied down his Battle of Blackpool showdown with Rose, the stewards at the Board of Control put Matthews vs. the aforementioned Cartwright out to bids, with the fight ordered to happen by the end of June.

Meanwhile, the British title at heavyweight, which was vacated by Dillian Whyte recently, will be up for grabs to the winner of a clash between Sam Sexton and Gary Cornish. Purse bids, as with all of the fights ordered by the Board on this month’s circular, are due in on March 8 at their Cardiff head office.

Moving down slightly, to English title level, it was also revealed that Nathan Gorman will take on Dominic Akinlade for the vacant heavyweight crown on April 1 at the National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace.

Jahmaine Smyle will return to action on April 22, at Leicester Arena, exclusively live on BT Sport and BoxNation.

‘Smasher’ is set to defend his English super-middleweight title against Darryll Williams, while Liam Cameron vs. Lennox Clarke has been ordered as an eliminator for that belt.

Down at middleweight, Andy Ayling has won the right to stage Lee Markham’s English title defence against Joe Mullender in a rematch. A date and venue for that clash has yet to be provided.

Meanwhile, Marcus Morrison –– who is back in action in a defence of his WBC International Silver title against Jason Welborn on March 25 at Manchester Arena, exclusively live on Sky Sports –– has been ordered to face Matthew Mallin in an eliminator for Markham’s strap.

In other news, purse bids have been set for Don Broadhurst’s defence of the English super-flyweight title against Matthew Chanda and Chris Conwell is out of his next fight with injury.

Conwell was set to take on Sam Bowen on March 11 in Nottingham for the vacant English super-featherweight title, as part of a Carl Greaves-promoted card, but the Board has now put Bowen vs. Michael Devine out to bids.

Elsewhere, Lee Appleyard will now face Adam Hague in an eliminator for the English lightweight title on March 4 at the Doncaster Dome and Josh Kennedy vs. Michael Ramabeletsa has been set for the vacant English super-bantamweight title. That fight will take place on March 18 at York Hall in Bethnal Green.

And Matthew Ryan will take on Rick Skelton for the vacant English super-welterweight title on March 24, as part of a Black Flash Promotions card, in Manchester, with an exact venue to be revealed.