JASON Welborn and Craig Cunningham are all set to face off for a barnstorming battle for Midlands honours next month.

Cunningham’s drop down to super welterweight will present him with the chance to become a two-time area champion.

And Welborn will win the 11st belt outright – as he has also done with the welter honours – if he can make a successful defence of the belt for a second time.

The two clash in a 10-rounder at the International Futsal Arena in the Hockley area of Birmingham on Saturday July 16, on PJ Promotions’ bill titled ‘The Reckoning.’ Keen Birmingham City fan and proud Brummie Cunningham, who lives in Oldbury, gets home advantage against Rowley Regis’ Welborn.

Cunningham finally defended his own Midlands crown at middleweight in Dudley against hometown hero Ryan Aston last month.

The battle of the southpaws saw him retain the strap he’d been trying to put up for 16 months through a six-round stoppage, a loaded left hook settling matters after a tear up of a contest.

Puncher Welborn will now test his mettle at the lower weight with something to prove himself, after suffering a shock defeat in May.

He was the victim of only journeyman William Warburton’s 19th victory from 123 pro bouts on points, as a drop down to welter backfired.

But the 30-year-old has never been beaten in a Midlands title fight and last outpointed Aston, in another cracker, with area honours on the line last year.

The under-card will feature seven more bouts with Ricky Summers, another Black Country boy from Tipton, providing chief support.

The unbeaten Summers is getting in line for a shot at national level in the light heavyweight division and has 11 wins without reply, with four TKOs.

‘Digger’ outpointed Carl Wild in his last outing and is expecting to be presented with a similar sort of test this time, over six or possibly even eight rounds.

German-born middleweight Carl Dickens, who lives in Redditch, has something to prove as he enters double figures for pro outings.

He is still smarting from losing to Sam Wall in an eight-rounder last time out, his second points defeat, and is champing at the bit to get back in the ring.

Three more Brummies feature on the supporting cast, with former Midlands featherweight title challenger Paul Holt the most experienced of the trio.

Holt, from the second city but now based in Nuneaton, took future Commonwealth champion Bobby Jenkinson the distance with a broken jaw 12 months ago.

Matt Windle and debutant Kane Baker will also feature.

Tickets are on sale now priced at £35 and £50 for ringside. To buy and for more information, call promoter Paul ‘PJ’ Rowson on 07976 283 157.