By Terence Dooley

The BBBoC recently met to match various British and English title fights, with some interesting match-ups sent out to purse bids.  Most notably, cruiserweight holder Matty Askin has been ordered to defend against the undefeated Lawrence Okolie, with bids due in by August 8 and the contest to take place by the end of November.

The middleweight title will be contested by current holder Jason Welborn and former titlist Tommy Langford, who lost to Welborn via a split decision in May.  The fight takes place on September 8 at Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena and the winner already has another fight in the pipeline after the Board ruled that: ‘The winner to waive grace and defend against Mark Heffron when called upon to do so’.

The light-middleweight title is currently vacant, but not for much longer after Eddie Hearn won the right to match Asinia Byfield and Ted Cheeseman for the belt.  It will take place on October 20 in London.

Bradley Skeete currently holds the welterweight belt.  Gary Corcoran and Paddy Gallagher had been due to meet in an eliminator only for Gallagher to withdraw ‘due to an injury’.  Instead, Corcoran will meet Johnny Garton instead after it was sent out to bids.  They are due in by August 8 and that one must also take place by the end of November.

As previously reported, Glenn Foot and Robbie Davies Jr. will contest the vacant light-welterweight title on Hearn’s October 13 bill in Newcastle.  Akeem Ennis Brown and Joe Hughes were pencilled in to fight an eliminator but ‘No Purse bids were received for the above eliminator contest’.

Lewis Ritson currently reigns supreme at lightweight, and Steffy Bull’s proposal to match Andy Townsend and Atif Shafiq in an eliminator has been approved by the Board.  They will feature on Bull’s October 5 card at the Doncaster Dome.

Super featherweight holder Sam Bowen could meet either Leon Woodstock or Jordan McCorry after an eliminator contest was sent out to bids, the same timescale as before applies while ‘Further consideration of the division will be made at the next meeting’.

Ryan Walsh’s defence of the featherweight belt against Isaac Lowe will be promoted by Hearn after he won the right to stage it, date and venue TBC.  Leigh Wood and Jordan Gill’s eliminator contest for the same title has also been sent out to bids and the vacant English title will be on the line.

Barring a draw, the vacant bantamweight title will be decided when Ukashir Farooq fights Jamie Wilson for the title at the St. Andrews Sporting Club on a Iain Wilson bill, the winner ‘to waive grace and defend when called upon to do so’.

English Super flyweight holder Ryan Farrag has been ordered to defend against Bradley Watson and bids must be in by August 8.  As it is an English title defence the Board has ordered a 60-40 purse split. 

In other English title news, light-heavyweight holder Liam Conroy will defend his belt against Miles Shinkwin after David Haye won the right to stage the contest, which will take place at London’s York Hall venue on September 14.

The Board also confirmed that they are waiting on news of a new date and venue for the contest between Super middleweight titlist Darryl Williams and Lennox Clarke.  In the meantime, Luke Crowcroft and Cello Renda will take part in an eliminator for the title when they meet on a Stefy Bull-promoted bill at the Doncaster Dome on September 1.  The middleweight title is currently vacant yet should have a new holder on September 29 after Errol Johnson won the right to stage Reece Cartwright versus Tyler Denny at the Walsall Town Hall.

The vacant light-middleweight title should also be in new hands in September, promoter Mervyn Turner has won the right to pitch Adam Harper and Billy Bird for the belt on September 22 in Ipswich.  However, the welterweight title will remain vacant after Freddie Kiwitt withdrew from a fight with Andrew Keates for the belt.

Steve Goodwin will stage the meeting between Kayamba Prospere and Cassius Connor.  It will take place at the York Hall on September 22 and the winner could go on to face current holder Sam O’Maison.

Josh Kennedy’s Super bantamweight title defence against Michael Ramabeletsa has been sent out to bids by the Board, with the belt to be contested by the end of November as per the earlier British title notices.  Bantamweight holder Kyle Williams will face with Louis Norman or Mark Leach after that one also went out to bids. 

Please send news and views to @Terryboxing.