Jamie Ball wants to prove his fitness

Coseley's Jamie Ball will be looking to prove his fitness after being added to the boxing bill at Wolverhampton Civic Hall at the end of September.

The Midlands light middleweight champion has been chasing a shot at either the English or British titles but neither chance has been forthcoming.

Ball has also been hampered by a back injury from a car crash in June, which forced him to pull out of a six-rounder that month at the Civic.

That fight has now been resurrected for Friday September 28 and it's a chance for 'the Black Country Bully' to put his back through its paces.

The 28-year-old believes treatment will keep the problem under control and hasn't slacked on his training to prove that is the case.

He said: "I was going to hold out for a title fight or British title eliminator, but I need a training camp and fight to see how my back is.

"I had a car crash in the lead up to my last fight in June and, when I was sparring afterwards, my neck locked up so I pulled out.

"My spine keeps coming out of place, the nerves around my spine lock and spasm and it's something that won't ever go away.

"I have been put on to a chiropractor who I see once a week and, as I step up my training, I will go and see him twice a week.

"As long as I do that, it shouldn't get to the point where it was before, there should be no major problems."

Ball is growing increasingly impatient with what has been a long chase of national glory, with the Civic an old stomping ground.

Eight of his 15 pro fights have come under the bright lights of the Civic and he's still unbeaten, with just two draws on his record.

The last was a technical stalemate in an English title eliminator against Nasser Al Harbi in March, halted on a cut in the fourth round.

The belt will be defended next Saturday by Erick Ochieng against Southern champion Ryan Toms who has been stopped twice, once in the first round.

Ochieng first defended the title in May against Andrew Lowe, who Ball halted in eight rounds to win the area crown last year.

He said: "I have been chasing the English title for two years, a kid who I have knocked out has even gone on to fight for it.

"The champion has got Ryan Toms now, but I have got an area title and I haven't even lost a fight yet.

"I need rounds now and I want to go into a title fight with another win under my belt, knowing that my back is OK.

"I am 28 now, I have got a family and kids and I don't want to be waiting around for too much longer for my shot.

"I deserve the opportunity, I seem to have been avoided but my determination has gone back through the roof.

"At one stage in July, I was considering jacking it in, but I can't let something like that make me give up on boxing.

"I am not a quitter, that's not my personality."

For more information and tickets to the Civic show, call the box office on 0870 320 7000.