JACK Cullen has been backed to win the English middleweight title in Bolton in May – by a potential big future rival.

Little Lever star Cullen will face champion Reece Cartwright at the Bolton Whites Hotel on Saturday, May 11.

It is the biggest fight of the Bolton man's career, and was rescheduled from March 9 when an injury sustained in training forced Cartwright to pull out.

Cullen – whose professional record reads 15 wins and one defeat, is the mandatory opponent for Cartwright, who will be looking to defend his crown for the first time since beating Tyler Denny in Walsall last September.

The Leeds man is a year younger than 25-year-old Cullen, and has 22 wins and one defeat to his name.

But one man who has experience of being in the ring with both believes Cullen will have the edge in May.

Mark Heffron could be on course to fight either one of Cullen or Cartwright at some time in the future as he looks for a second shot at the British title after losing his first against Liam Williams at Manchester Arena in December.

The Oldham man will be taking a keen interest in May's Cullen-Cartwright bout between two potential opponents, and tips Cullen to emerge successful.

He said: "I have sparred with both of them and they are both good fighters, but I definitely think Jack will win that fight.

"After that if it came up that I would fight Jack I would be up for it. I am not in this sport to avoid anyone so if the fight came up, I would take it.”

That title defeat to Williams in December took 27-year-old Heffron's professional record to 22 wins – 17 by way of knockout – and one loss.

He bounced back with a victory in his next fight a fortnight ago in front of his home fans at Oldham Leisure Centre, winning convincingly on points in a six-round bout against 32-year-old Serge Ambolo, from Cameroon, whom Farnworth's Jack Flatley beat at the Bolton Whites Hotel the previous week.

Heffron, nicknamed Kid Dynamite due to his power punching, now has his sights firmly set on climbing back up the middleweight ladder, and that could well mean him being on a collision course with Cullen or Cartwright – or both – along the way.

He believes he has a lot to learn and much experience still to gain, and that his defeat to Williams was a blip in his career and he still has what it takes to go all the way to becoming a British and world champion.

The May 11 show promises to be a big night for Bolton boxing with Flatley also fighting for his first title when he steps into the ring with 27-year-old Craig Morris (11 wins, two defeats, one draw) from Ludlow, Shropshire, for the vacant English super welterweight belt.