David Williams's Welsh Boxing Blog - No. 7

YOU wait a few months for a big fight involving a Welsh boxer then four or five come along at once.

This weekend is the second of three in the space of four weeks where a fighter from Wales will be contesting a title contest at European level or higher.

This Saturday it’s the turn of Merthyr middleweight Kerry Hope, who faces the daunting task of trying to inflict the first defeat of European champion Grzegorz Proksa’s career.

Hope is as big as 20-1 with some bookmakers to do that while Proksa is a massive favourite at 50-1 on with the likes of Bet365.

Of the big title fights featuring Welshmen since the end of last month, when Nathan Cleverly defended his WBO strap, and the end of this month, this one is arguably the least likely to produce a win for the Red Dragon.

There’s no doubt Hope is hungry. At 30, he doesn’t have many chances like this left and given that the opportunity came as somewhat of a surprise, if the Pole has underestimated him then he could have a sniff of turning the form book upside down.

To stand any chance of springing a major shock, Hope would have to produce the fight of his life while Proksa would need to have a major off night at Sheffield’s Motorpoint Arena.

But Hope only has to look at his fellow countrymen for inspiration.

As well as Cleverly, Robbie Turley picked up silverware recently by claiming the vacant Celtic super-bantamweight belt and there is a lot more to come from the principality’s top pugilists.

Next weekend is another huge one for the sport in Wales with two men, Enzo Maccarinelli and Gary Buckland, in British championship action across the border.

Maccarinelli challenges British cruiserweight king Shane McPhilbin in Wolverhampton on Friday and 24 hours later, just a few miles up the road, Buckland makes the first defence of his British super-featherweight crown against Paul Truscott, again in Sheffield.

Not only that, but Gavin Rees hops over the English Channel on Friday to step into the lion’s den in Paris where Frenchman Anthony Mezaache bids to wrestle the Welshman’s European lightweight belt from him.

I’m tipping all three - Maccarinelli, Buckland and Rees - to triumph though it’s difficult to see Hope doing the same.

Some of Wales’s up and coming fighters take centre stage in Newport this Saturday. Unbeaten Frankie Borg’s battle with Luke Osman for the vacant British Masters middleweight is title the main attraction.

Newport super-middle Lewis Patterson makes his debut against Joe Jones while Gareth Piper is also in action after more than a year out.

Upcoming title fights involving Welsh boxers;

March 17 – Grzegorz Proksa v KERRY HOPE (European middleweight title) at Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield

LUKE OSMAN v FRANKIE BORG (vacant British Masters middleweight title) at Newport Centre, Newport

March 23 – Shane McPhilbin v ENZO MACCARINELLI (British cruiserweight title) at Civic Hall, Wolverhampton

GAVIN REES v Anthony Mezaache (European lightweight title) at Clichy la Garenne, Paris, France

March 24 – GARY BUCKLAND v Paul Truscott (British super-featherweight title) at Ponds Forge Arena, Sheffield