Derby rivals will share a bill and then a ring

Both return to action for the first time since title disappointments on the Sky Sports televised show in Leeds on Saturday night,

Stourbridge's Sam Eggington lost his grip on the British and Commonwealth welterweight belts on points, after being outboxed by mandatory challenger Bradley Skeete, in March.

It will be exactly 14 months since Brummie Gavin last laced up the gloves when he steps through the ropes at the First Direct Arena.

'Funtime Frankie' was left downbeat after Kell Brook broke his resolve by sixth round stoppage, as the champion retained his IBF world title live on Box Office.

Skeete is back in Frank Warren's camp with the domestic straps, while Brook has jumped up to middleweight for the huge ask of dethroning Gennady Golovkin for his three world titles.

Gavin would like equally Leonard Bundu, Brook's only equal out of 24 men to defeat Britain's only-ever world amateur titlist as a professional.

Bundu, 41, is back in possession of the European crown, having failed himself at world level. He dropped and downed Gavin over-the-distance at Wolverhampton Civic Hall in August 2014.

Gavin, who already holds a Lonsdale belt, neither wants nor needs the honours Skeete's possesses and has already beaten him once, in his first fight back after Bundu.

Eggington, on the other hand, is desperate to get his standing back and needs a huge win to get himself back into position, which is where Gavin comes in.

The two have been on a collision course since for a year and, with successful six-rounders here, should finally meet in Birmingham under the Matchroom Boxing banner on October 22.

'The Savage,' 22, must first deal with the game Daza Usher in Leeds, where Gavin has been paired with Croatian visitor Ivo Gogosevic.

Eggington said: "The Gavin fight is a tough one. I can either wait a year, have a few fights which are good but on the same path.

"Or I can fight Frankie, beat him, and I am back to where I was before I lost to Skeete. I am all about the fast route, the quickest back to where I was, and a win over Frankie puts me back there.

"I would love to win the British title outright, but I want the rematch with Bradley more than anything. Beggars can't be choosers and I am going to have to work my way back up.

"If it comes again, hopefully, it would be a different outcome. You could say the Frankie fight is bigger for the fans, with it being a local derby in Birmingham.

"We have done a few rounds sparring a while back and I used to train at his gym, although not with Frankie. We do know each other in general, but we are not close friends.

"At the moment, I am just looking at Saturday. If this goes wrong, there is no Frankie fight."

The two were due to go toe-to-toe in the second city last October, before Gavin withdrew citing a passing car had run over his foot.

He had to be talked into taking the contest for his old titles, having relinquished the belts so Eggington could challenge for them having gone after Brook.

He turns 31 in September, so won't want to be hanging around for long. His motivation for Eggington is simply to prove he's the superior fighter.

He said: "I didn't want those belts. I've had five British and five Commonwealth title fights. Winning those again isn't going to do anything for me.

"I just want to prove I'm better than him, there's been a lot of people talk and soon there will be action. It's all about levels.

"It's not personal, I just want to get the fight done and won. Whoever loses, at least it's happened and we can move on.

"I have faith in my ability and I know I can beat Sam, so I was never not confident. If I get my performance right, it's going to be an easy night."

He was ringside for Eggington versus Skeete and watch skill beat will at a canter. As one of the trickiest southpaws around, Gavin saw nothing to faze him.

He said: "It went exactly how I predicted it would. I knew that Skeete would win comfortably, but he didn't step out of second gear.

"Sam can fight and is a tough kid but, boxing-wise, he is technically poor. I'm very confident about facing him.

"After that, I just want the big fights, that's the stage of my career I'm at. I've had a world title shot and I'd love another crack.

"That is my sole focus, or to face a massive international name in my division."

Tickets are still on sale now priced at £30, £40, £60 and £100 from the venue's website, www.firstdirectarena.com, or by calling 0844 248 1585.

VIP passes, at a cost of £150, are available exclusively from www.matchroomboxing.com.