By Terence Dooley

Former British champion Liam Williams has been handed a route back into contention after the BBBoC matched him against Asinia Bufield for the vacant British light-middleweight belt.  The Board’s latest title circular has revealed that the purse bids are due in by noon on Wednesday June 13 (as are all bids, unless stated otherwise) and that the contest must take place by the end of September.

Welterweight champion Bradley “Super” Skeete failed to win the EBU belt after being annihilated by Kerman Lejarraga last month and he could meet either Gary Corcoran, Paddy Gallagher, Josh Kelly or Johnny Garton in a comeback fight should he decided to defend his British title again after the four leading contenders were told to take part in eliminator contests and the fights were sent out to bids.

The light-welterweight title is currently vacant yet won’t stay that way for long if Glenn Foot and Josh Leather’s teams manage to either reach an agreement or wins a purse bid as the fight was put out a month late ‘Following a request for a one month postponement’.  Featherweight holder Ryan Walsh has been pencilled in to meet Isaac Lowe yet the Board announced that: ‘This division will be considered by the Stewards next month’.

Super bantamweight holder Thomas Patrick Ward won’t have to wait though, as previously reported he meets James Dickens on ‘a date and at a venue as yet to be advised’ after Dennis Hobson won the right to stage the fight.  Joe Ham will meet Tyrone McCullough in an eliminator on June 30 at Belfast’s Odyssey venue on a Frank Warren-promoted show.  The vacant Celtic title will also be on the line in that one.

In English title news, and also previously reported, Daniel Dubois will meet Tom Little for the vacant English heavyweight title at London’s O2 Arena on 23 June—Frank Warren promotes.  Light-heavyweight holder Liam Conroy’s fight against Mile Shinkwin has been sent out to purse bids, as has the middleweight title tussle between holder Elliott Matthews and Tyler Denny.

The vacant welterweight title has been made vacant by the Board, who wrote: ‘Following Isaac Macleod’s recent loss and in accordance with Regulation 22.16, the Stewards decided to put out the above contest [Freddie Kiwitt-Andrew Keates] to purse bids’.  Louis Greene and Ekow Essuman will meet in an eliminator if bids are made or terms are agreed between the parties.

Light-welterweight holder Sam O’Maison could meet either Kayamba Prospere or Nathan Weise next, they are fighting each other in an eliminator on a Steve Goodwin bill at London’s York Hall venue on May 19.  Hobson has won the right to stage an eliminator for Myron Mills’s lightweight title, the two men meet at the York Hall on June 9.

The situation of the featherweight title remains up in the air after Zahid Hussain withdrew from a fight against Leigh Wood.  However, the bantamweight title is due to be contested by Thomas Essomba and Kyle Williams on June 9 at the Starworks in Wolverhampton after Errol Johnson won the right to stage it the fight.

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