Hall order for Napa – Championship round-up

Hackney’s Ian Napa and Darlington’s unbeaten Stuart Hall will meet for the British bantamweight title vacated by Jamie McDonnell at the Peterlee Leisure Centre on 4 June. The winner must defend against former champion Gary Davies when ordered to do so by the British Boxing Board of Control.

McDonnell controversially relieved Napa of the Lonsdale belt in January but has chosen to relinquish his British crown rather than face the Hackney man in an immediate rematch. McDonnell is currently preparing to make the first defence of his European bantamweight title in his hometown of Doncaster on 25 June on the back of his superb stoppage win over Jerome Arnould in France in March.

As revealed yesterday by BoxRec News, Promoter Frank Maloney is to stage the eagerly anticipated rematch between heavyweights Tyson Fury and John McDermott before the end of June after the British Boxing Board of Control rejected Mick Hennessy’s latest request to postpone the contest. The rematch will double as a final eliminator for the British heavyweight title and also for the vacant English crown.

In other British title news, Michael Jennings will contest the vacant British welterweight crown against John O’Donnell on a date and venue to be advised by promoter Frank Warren. One wonders if this fight will actually go ahead, however. Jennings is pencilled in to meet former British champion Kell Brook for the WBO inter-continental strap on 3 July whilst O’Donnell recently returned to the ring following eight months out down at light-welter, a division he plans to continue his career in.

At super-middleweight, at the request of British champion Paul Smith and European champion Brian Magee, purse bids have been postponed by one month until 9 June. The final eliminator between former British champion Tony Quigley and Kenny Anderson will go ahead though on a date and venue to be confirmed after promoter Frank Maloney submitted the winning purse bids.

At light-welterweight, following an injury to Steve Williams, the Board have delayed purse bids for his eliminator with Nigel Wright by one month until 9 June. The contest will also be for Williams’ English title.

In English title news, promoter Gus Robinson submitted the winning bid to stage David Dolan’s vacant cruiserweight title clash with Terry Dunstan on a date and venue to be advised.

No purse bids were received for the following proposed English title pairings:

Paul David (holder) vs Tony Dodson (super-middleweight)

Martin Murray vs Tony Randell (vacant middleweight)

Adnan Amar (holder) vs Michael Lomax (welterweight)

Finally, following the withdrawal of Prince Arron against English light-middleweight champion Andrew Facey, the Board’s stewards will consider this division at a later date.