PADDY Fitzpatrick believes there will be no issues with Luke Watkins headlining his first show next month.

The unbeaten cruiserweight has been the chief support in his last three fights in Swindon, but on December 20 at the Grange Drive Leisure Centre, Watkins will step into the limelight.

With a record of five wins from five, including three inside the distance, Watkins produced a mature performance in his last fight, working well behind an impressive jab to claim an eight-round shut-out success over Tamas Bajzath.

That bout was the Duke’s first in nine months after illness and injury kept him out of the ring.

However, following the signing of a seven-show deal between Watkins’ trainer Fitzpatrick and local promoter Keith Mayo, the 26-year-old, barring any problems, can expect to be a lot busier in 2016.

“Duke, by all things working out well, injury free and things going the way they should, is going to be busier than some of the guys on the (Eddie) Hearn and (Frank) Warren shows,” the Ferndale Road-based trainer said.

“By the summer time he will have broken the top 10 (of the British cruiserweight).

“December is going to be fight six, then it’ll be seven in February and eight in March.

“There is a big buzz around the town about him, he should be headlining these shows.

“(Stable-mate) Eamonn (O’Kane) is headlining the show in March (5 at the Oasis Leisure Centre), but Duke should be headlining these ones.

“He is in a division where (town rival) Lawrence (Bennett) has got seven wins, Duke has five.

“Lawrence has vacated the Southern (Area title) and is going for the English (belt), I wish him the best with that – I really do.

“The better he does, the more chance we can have another fight which is significant for the town.”

Having gone the full eight round distance for the first time in October, Watkins will drop down to six rounds next month.

However, his trainer says that after the summer he won’t be doing anything less than eight rounds.

“The smaller shows will be six rounds, we have a smaller budget to work to,” the Irishman said.

“The rest of the guys will be doing four-rounders, but it doesn’t matter if they only get four, if they are sharpening their tools and keeping their mind active, that is good enough.

“Duke needs to have the six-rounders because he is in a shallower division in Great Britain.

“He will do six in December, six in February, eight in March, six in May and 10 in June.

“Then he won’t be going back to sixes, it will be eight and 10s.”