Jamie Ball set to face Nasser Al Harbi

Coseley's Jamie Ball was today lined up for an English title eliminator on West Midlands soil against Birmingham's Nasser Al Harbi.

Promoter Dave Coldwell has won the purse bids to stage the fight and the two light middleweights could clash in Birmingham.

A Coldwell bill at the New Bingley Hall is scheduled for March 16 and the bout is in the running to be named chief support fight.

Ball and Al Harbi will put their '0' on the line when the undefeated duo meet in the ring, with a new English champion set to be crowned later this month.

Erick Ochieng and Nick Quigley will go toe-to-toe for the vacant title on January 28, where the victor will meet the winner of Ball versus Al Harbi.

That's what the British Boxing Board of Control have decided upon and Ball, the reigning Midlands champion, believe it's his only way in.

He said: "It will be tough, he's an unbeaten fighter like me and we have come across a lot of the same competition so far.

"At this stage, I have got to progress and I will, once I have got this on my slate, so I have got to take this fight.

"I have no other options, this is my only foot on the title ladder. I have got to play with the cards I have been dealt."

It's been a rollercoaster month for Ball after he was lined up for a shock crack at new British champion Brian Rose.

Rose and promoter Frank Maloney agreed to a voluntary defence but the board and Sky Sports vetoed the bout

Ball had already turned down a proposed English title fight with Birmingham's Max Maxwell to hold out for Rose.

Maxwell has now been picked to face Rose, who he knocked out last year, and Ball knows which one he would rather face.

He said: "In my eyes, Max would have been a harder fight than Rose, he's someone who has never got to where he should of.

"He knocked Rose out, yet Rose comes back to win the English and British titles, that's the madness of boxing.

"My fight with Max fell apart because the board ordered me to have an eliminator, who has an eliminator for an English title?

"I am the area champion, the Midlands Young Boxer of the Year, I am doing everything I should be doing.

"I am just not getting the opportunities."