European title chance for Foster Jnr

Salford’s Steven Foster Jnr will challenge Levan Kirakosyan for the European super-featherweight title in Manchester in October (date and venue TBC, but 2 or 16 Oct are likely).

Foster Jnr has been craving another title opportunity since he was narrowly outpointed by Alex Arthur for the Scot’s WBO interim super-featherweight crown in December 2007. Steven, 27-2-1 (17), fought only once in two years after that but has stayed busy since switching promotional camps to Hatton Promotions and has ticked over with three routine six rounders this year.

The 36-year-old Kirakosyan captured the European title for a second time when overpowering Scott Lawton in three rounds in Stoke in February and defended it with a second round TKO of Spain’s Francisco Nohales three weeks ago.

The heavy-handed Armenian, 33-5 (23), has recorded a brace of stoppage victories over Leeds’ Carl Johanneson and was previously halted in six rounds by Michael Gomez on his three previous visits to Britain.