LAWRENCE Bennett insists he is not overlooking the threat of Chris Keane as he plots his path to a British cruiserweight title shot.

Bad Boy and Keane will collide at the Oasis Leisure Centre on June 7 as in a British title eliminator bout as chief support to Kelvin Young’s first defence of his IBO super-middleweight inter-continental title.

And while the 31-year-old Southern Area champion is excited about the prospect of possibly being able to box for the Lonsdale strap in only his eighth professional fight, he knows that Keane poses a threat.

“No at all,” Bennett said when asked if there was a danger of overlooking Keane.

“This guy is going to come to fight, I know that.

“I was 100 per cent into that Southern Area fight (against Jack Morris), everyday I was eat, sleep and breathing it.

“I was saying to myself he is coming, he’s coming, I’m going to have to go for it and take it.

“It is even worse now because he (Keane) is coming to my back yard.

“He may think that I got lucky in the Southern Area and that he’s fought at a higher level and a former ABA champion, he might think I’m nothing.

“But I’m going to get in there I’m going to hit him, hit hard and then we will see.

“I will give him 100 per cent, if I don’t I will be upset, I know if give 100 per cent, do what I do, Bad Boy will win.”

Bennett admits that his rise in 2014 has largely been down to his points defeat to Courtney Richards in December last year.

Following that defeat, Bennett was offered the opportunity to box for the Southern Area title in March, a chance he successfully took, and now he is potentially one-step away from competing for the British title, who has been held be Jon-Lewis Dickinson since October 2012.

“It was the best thing that happened to me (losing to Richards),” Bennett said.

“I was troddling along, getting the wins and doing what I had to but just doing enough.

“Then I took my foot off the pedal and got found out, and that was my lesson.

“I realised that I need to be training 100 per cent, I need to be sparring, I need to be running, because if you don’t it is a lonley place to be in that ring - I found out that night.

“I’ve gone strength to strength, my next fight (after the loss) was for the Southern Area title, the one after that is British title eliminator and then who know a British title fight in my eighth fight.”