DUDLEY'S Ryan Aston has been handed a third opportunity at an area title and will get the chance to be crowned champion in his hometown.

He will be the first challenger to defending Midlands middleweight champion Craig Cunningham at the Town Hall.

The 10-round contest will headline promoter Paul ‘PJ’ Rowson’s ‘Resurgence’ show at the venue on Saturday, May 21.

Aston will attempt to seize the belt for a second time, first losing in two rounds to Curtis Valentine for the then-vacant strap in July 2012.

Tank also went for the Midlands crown at light middle last June, losing on a hotly-disputed points decision to defending titlist Jason Welborn.

The 25-year-old southpaw rebuilt again with victories over Kevin McCauley, Nathan Graham and Christian Hoskin-Gomez.

Aston then challenged for the IBF International title on a BoxNation-televised show in January, but was undone in six by a classy performance from Ahmet Patterson.

Another make-or-break fight looms large again, as fellow left-hander Cunningham looks to finally make himself a fighting champion after a wretched 17 months with the belt.

The Brummie, who lives in Oldbury, was due to defend against Halesowen’s Lennox Clarke last September until the latter pulled out injured.

Cunningham then lined up Mike Byles but withdrew on fight week hurt himself, with Byles doing the same before their re-arranged date.

The 28-year-old has lost just once in 15 pro contests, in a three-round Prizefighter affair to eventual winner Tom Doran. Aston has 18 wins from 23, with three losses and two draws.

The under-card will be comprised of a quartet of four-round affairs, with Coseley’s Tommy Ghent and Dudley’s Josh Miller no longer featuring.

Netherton’s Les Byfield is another from the pro section of the town’s Priory Park Boxing Club and will tackle Joe Beeden on fight night.

Byfield has showed resilience of his own to bounce back from being outpointed on his paid debut, reeling off four victories over-the-distance since.

The popular lightweight, dubbed ‘the Minefield,’ has served his winning apprenticeship against a quartet with nearly 300 contests of pro experience between them.

Rowley Regis’ Tyler Denny will be champing at the bit to get back into action, after two setbacks stunted his progress. He’s the only home fighter on the bill yet to be matched.

The rugged middleweight, from Shaun Cooper’s gym in Brierley Hill, was taken to a draw by Simone Lucas at the Town Hall in December.

Then the 24-year-old’s chance to make amends, on Rowson’s last offering at the Venue in Dudley last month, was delayed by tendonitis in his knuckles.

Flamboyant flyweight Matt Windle’s actions will speak louder than words when he takes his place in the line-up.

The Brummie, an ex-amateur for Warley, has vanquished Anwar Alfadli and Patrick Bartos with a flashy gimmick to match The punching poet, who teaches the prose in schools by day, operates under the ‘Matt Man’ persona and provides an entrance reminiscent of ‘the Dark Knight.’ Rising star Brad Foster, from Lichfield, completes the home corner as a second flyweight on show. The former world kickboxing champion is one of the youngest pros in the country at 18.

‘The Blade’ shut out Josh O’Donnell on points on his paid bow and did the same to Gateshead’s Gary Reeve, who was left swollen by the right eye.

Windle is the next to try his luck with Reeve while Foster takes on Jordan Turner, who has two wins from four.

Tickets, priced at £40, £50 stage and £70 stage all with waitress drinks service, are available from the promoter on 07976 283 157. The Town Hall can be contacted on 01384 815 577.