British and European light-middleweight champion Wayne Alexander hopes to bring big-time championship boxing back to Croydon this year.
The West Croydon fighter exclusively told the Guardian that he met his promoter Frank Warren last week to discuss the next stage of his career.
He said: "I met Frank for discussions last week and I've asked him if he can put on a show at Crystal Palace. He said there's a very good chance that he can do it, so we'll have to wait and see."
With Warren's influential Sport's Network company behind the event, and Alexander proving a genuine box office draw, the prospect of a sell-out title fight at the National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace sometime in April looms large.
Alexander said: "I will try to get a fight for the vacant Commonwealth title or make a defence of my European title in April."
That would mean facing a hand-picked opponent from the top-10 European fighters, or a highly ranked Commonwealth contender, as he charts his way towards a world championship bout.
Alexander has been relaxing since his crushing three-round knockout of Italian fighter Paolo Pizzamiglio last month but at 28, he knows he must put his career on the fast track if he is to fulfil the potential that has seen him beat 18 of 19 professional opponents. With that and an injury plagued six-year career in mind, Alexander, Warren and trainer Jimmy Tibbs plan to test him with four more fights this year building up to a world title shot.
He said: "I wouldn't mind starting on the big fights now. I'm 29 this year and I don't want any meaningless fights. I want to fight guys who are rated above me, so that I can rise up the world ratings and get another world title shot."
Alexander's only defeat came in February last year when he valiantly challenged Namibia's WBO champ Harry Simon at just 48 hours notice.
There are currently three British light-middleweight world champions in Streatham's Richard Williams (IBO), Steve Roberts (WBF) and Takaloo (WBU) but Alexander would prefer to build towards a shot at one of the prestigious crowns like the WBC and WBA, held by Oscar de la Hoya and Fernando Vargas.
He said: "I'm confident I would beat any of the British light-middleweights but I don't need those fights. Boxing's a short career, so I want to make the most of it."
* West Norwood's former WBF middleweight champion Delroy Leslie fought Walsall's Jason Collins on Tuesday at the York Hall in Bethnal Green.
See next week's Guardian for a full report, as the 31-year-old seeks a shot at Howard Eastman's British title.
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