ENGLISH light-welterweight champion Shayne Singleton could be set to take on a former World Champion in a stiff test next month.

The 23-year-old from Colne is set for a six or eight-round contest at Bolton’s Reebok Arena on July 20 as a tune up for September’s defence of his belt against Tyrone Nurse in Manchester.

Singleton was due to face Huddersfield-based Nurse on June 1 but the fight was put back because of a hand injury the Colne fighter picked up in winning the title off Curtis Woodhouse in March.

An opponent for his Bolton bout has not yet been agreed but one option is 37-year-old Italian Giuseppe Lauri.

“I am after a decent test,” said Singleton. “I don’t want a step down in class, I’ve got a hard fight coming up in September and I want to be tested.

“I am looking for someone similar to Tyrone Nurse, someone who is quite tall and rangy.

“I will probably be changing tactics in the Nurse fight, he is a classy boxer and I think I will have a better chance if I take it too him rather than standing back, so I want to work on that in this fight.”

Singleton took the English title off Woodhouse over 10 rounds back in March but said the September battle with Nurse will be the biggest bout of his career.

“The pressure was off me against Woodhouse,” he said. “People expected him to win and he was the champion but now I am the champion and I want to hold on to my belt.

“It will be the biggest fight of my career. Now I’ve got the belt I need to defend it.”

Singleton, who has now fully recovered from his hand injury, added: “The next 12 months are going to be massive for me, the plan is to get through a defence of the English title and then look to fight for a British title, or at least an eliminator for a British title.”