Joshua Burke ready to make a fist of it

Burke is now nearing full fitness after struggling in recent months with a wrist injury and is keen to try out his fists,

The 30-year-old cruiserweight will get the chance to do just that on fight night next Saturday at the Town Hall.

He was forced to pull out of the last bill at the same venue in July with the same problem, but has now had the rest of the summer to recuperate.

He'll put to that to the test over four rounds against Jason Jones, a scrapper from Skegness who is winless in seven outings but has never been stopped.

He said: "I am fully over the injury now. It was a tissue injury in my wrist. I am still waiting to see the orthopaedic team to get a full diagnosis on what it is, but it has cleared up a lot.

"I've since had an X-ray and there is no bone damage. I feel a lot better now anyway. I still feel it slightly, but nowhere near as bad."

Burke is not willing to spend any more time out, adding: "I want to fight as often as I can and go up the rankings quickly and, hopefully, I can then get a title shot somewhere down the line.

"It is always important to put on a show, I want to do that every time I step into the ring and this time is no different.

"It is quite easy to climb up the rankings as long as you are keeping yourself active and busy and fighting on a regular basis.

"I want to be as proactive as I can and get myself out there and recognised. I want to show people what I am about. I know I am capable of getting on to big things."

Burke has one win and one loss from his two professional contests so far, making his paid bow outpointing Lee Jones last October.

He then travelled to Plymouth in January to take on old amateur rival Courtney Richards in a six-rounder, where a point off for persistent holding cost him a draw in a 58-57 points defeat.

He said: "I don't see it as a loss. I did six rounds with a guy in his back garden who has fought several times and that was my first time in a fight of that distance.

"I think I came out of the fight with a lot of credit. I think he was more downbeat with the victory than I was with the loss.

"There were a lot of positives that I took from it. I proved that I could do the distance and it's something I can take with me into my next fight."

The show's main event will see Paul Holt and Louis Fielding battle for a belt in a vacant Midlands super featherweight title fight.

Nuneaton-based Brummie Holt and co-challenger Fielding, from Tamworth, take the starring roles for a show titled 'High Stakes,' in tribute to show sponsors Grosvenor Casino Walsall.

Manny Zaber, from Old Hill, is an emerging area contender at super feather and will be looking to reel off his eighth win without reply.

In the other corner will be the country's most experienced professional Kristian Laight, who celebrated his 247th paid bout by beating Sean Crowley on points earlier this month.

Birmingham's Luke Walker is in action at super welter, looking for his fourth victory with all three of his previous paid bouts taking place at the same venue. He's taking on Telford's Kieron Gray.

Former world kickboxing champion Chad Sugden will be competing over six, with tough brawler Mark Till now set to be in the other corner. He had been paired with Chris Nixon.

Sugden, 22, held the ISKA world middleweight crown and remains the youngest to ever win a belt from that organisation. The man from Newark in the East Midlands is known as '2 Slick.'

West Bromwich's Tommy Loach makes his debut at welter, graduating from Wednesbury Boxing Club. Coventry cruiserweight Dilly Singh also turns over, with both yet be matched.

Tickets, priced at £30 and £60 ringside, are on still sale from the Town Hall Box Office on 0845 111 2900.

The casino, on Bentley Mill Way, will host the weigh-in and after-show party (over 18s). A number of free cars from Yellow Taxis will go from the fight venue to the function.