By Terence Dooley

The British Boxing Board of Control released their British and English titles round-up this week and it contained a few match-ups that will provide mandatory challengers for current holders of the Lonsdale belt.

Firstly, though, the mandated fight between middleweight holder Tommy Langford (18-1, 6 KOs) and Jack Arnfield (24-2, 6 early) will be promoted by Steve Wood of VIP Promotions after he won the right to stage the contest, which will take place ‘on a date and at a venue as yet to be advised’.

Down at light-middleweight, Damon Jones (15-1, 3 KOs) and James Metcalf (16-0, 8 early) will fight an eliminator for the title currently held by Liam Williams at the First Direct Arena on October 21.  Frank Warren will promote the contest and the winner will meet Ted Cheeseman in a final eliminator.

John O’Donnell and Tamuka Mucha were due to meet in an eliminator for the welterweight belt held by Bradley Skeete, but their fight was spiked due to an injury suffered by McDonnell.  Promoter Joshua Goodwin must stage the fight by December 31 ‘or final eliminator status may be withdrawn’.

Tyrone Nurse (35-2-2, 7 stoppages) defends his light-welterweight crown against Jack Caterall (18-0, 10 KOs) at the First Direct Arena on October 21, the winner must face either Joe Hughes (15-2-1, 6 early) or Johnny Coyle (17-0-1, 2 KOs), who will fight a final eliminator.  Andy Ayling won the purse bid for that one, venue and date TBA.

Steve Wood also secured Ryan Walsh’s (22-2-1, 11 KOs) featherweight defence against Isaac Lowe (13-0-2, 5 KOs), and a date and venue will be revealed in due course.  The Board also clarified the Super flyweight situation by stating that: ‘Following Charlie Edwards vacating the Championship, the Stewards decided to approve a request from Promoter Frank Warren for the above contest, which will take place on Monday, 13th November 2017 at the Hilton Hotel, London’.

Arfan Iqbal has been ordered to defend his English  cruiserweight title against Simon Vallily, the bids must be submitted by midday of November 8 and the contest must take place by the end of February.  Johnney Roye requested to put on a light-heavyweight title fight between holder Liam Conroy (14-3-1, 6 early) and Chris Hobbs (6-2-1, no stoppages), the Board acquiesced to this request and the voluntary defence will take place at the Park Hotel in Chorley, according to BoxRec.  The winner ‘to defend against Miles Shinkwin when called upon to do so’.

Super middleweight holder Darryll Williams (16-0, 6 KOs) will defend against Lennox Clark (15-0-1, 6 early) on November 18, Frank Warren promotes and the venue is the SSE Arena in Belfast.  The vacant English title will be contested by Elliott Matthews (19-0-1, 9 KOs) and Grant Dennis (10-0, 1 stoppage) at the York Hall on December 1, Warren also promotes that one.

Lee Appleyard (11-3, 5 early) is making a voluntary defence of his lightweight title, he meets Marcus Ffrench (14-3, 3 KOs) on a Stefy Bull-promoted show at the Doncaster Dome on November 25, the comebacking Curtis Woodhouse is also pencilled in to feature on the bill.  Samir Mouneimne’s English featherweight title defence against Jordan Gill is still hanging in the ether as ‘No Purse bids were received for the above contest’.

The vacant Super flyweight belt will be contested by Loua Nassa (9-0, no KOs) and Bradley Watson (10-2, 4 early) at the Royal Jersey Showground on November 24, after Dennis Hobson won the purse bid and secured the right to promote the fight.

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