Paddock v Gethin has taken place already!
A battle of Walsall between Luke Paddock and Martin Gethin has already taken place in the sparring ring as the former prepares to defend his Midlands title.
No sooner had Bloxwich's Paddock claimed the area light welterweight belt in December than there were calls for him and Walsall's Gethin,
Former British lightweight champion Gethin is now planning to campaign at 10st, although the 31-year-old may drop down again when he faces Tommy Coyle in Hull on March 7.
'The Quiet Man' held the Midlands title at lightweight in 2007, going on to win English and British straps and boxing a final eliminator for the IBF world crown.
There's plenty of noise about him facing Paddock, who impressively outpointed Josh McLaren to become boss, but 'Cool Hand' dare not look past his first defence against Fergus Taylor.
They clash at the Chase Leisure Centre in Cannock on Saturday February 28, with Taylor first approached as an opponent for Paddock in October when the title was still vacant.
The durable 24-year-old from Newark in Nottinghamshire has never gone less than the distance and has tasted defeat just once in nine professional outings.
Paddock, 23, sees that test as one to prove he's head and shoulders above Midlands-level challengers, but insists there's no rush to step further up.
And there's every chance Gethin could be offered the carrot of standing in his way to national level with a winner-take-all contest, having already pitted their wits against each other in training.
Paddock said: "It's just baby steps, at the moment, as my mind is on this fight but, if all goes to plan, there would be an English or British title eliminator in my future.
"Until then, I've only got my eyes set on one thing and that's Fergus Taylor on February 28. It's my first defence and, hopefully, the first of many.
"I've watched bits of footage of him on You Tube that I've been able to get hold of. He looks a really good fighter that does all the basics well.
"But I've fought away and won away (at the Queens Theatre in Burslem) so my confidence is high and I beat a good kid in Josh to win the title.
"Cannock will be home territory for me, pretty much, as it's only down the road. Hopefully, we'll get a lot of tickets sold and bring a big crowd in."
Paddock versus Taylor is one of two 10-round contests on the card, with Stafford's Grant Cunningham staging an eliminator for the English middleweight title.
Cunningham takes on Leeds' Damon Jones for the right to challenge formidable champion Danny Butler, who would be making a fourth defence.
Stafford's Rob Hunt is also battling for a belt on the card, going for the eight-round British Bronze Masters welterweight title against Derbyshire's Steve Jevons.
It's a pivotal fight for Hunt, who is hoping to make it third time lucky after falling short on both occasions he has been in for a crown.
The 29-year-old has over eight years and 24 bouts worth of paid experience, but wasn't able to claim British or International Masters honours.
Former Midlands welterweight champion Steven Pearce, from Stourbridge, appears on the under-card in his first bout for seven months.
'Fierce Pearce' is looking to rebound from back-to-back losses to Bradley Skeete and Ryan Hardy by starting to tidy up a 8-4-0 pro record.
Stoke duo Andy Keates and Josh McLaren, Birmingham's Sean Davis and Leeds' Steven Mennell complete the line-up for the show.
Tickets are on sale, priced at £30 and £60 ringside, and are available by calling 01543 504 065.
