PADDY Fitzpatrick has reignited the interest in Luke Watkins fighting Swindon cruiserweight rival Lawrence Bennett.

The Ferndale Road-based trainer is putting on a show at the Oasis Leisure Centre on June 6 with his unbeaten 25-year-old the headline act.

Fitzpatrick, who will take Watkins and Garvey Kelly over to Northern Ireland to box on the undercard of Eamonn O’Kane’s IBF inter-continental middleweight title defence, is keen to have Bad Boy in the opposite corner with the Southern Area title on the line.

Bennett successfully made his inaugural defence of his crown earlier in this month when stopping Jamie Hearn at the York Hall.

And although the 32-year-old and his manager Steve Goodwin are intent on going after the English title, Fitzpatrick is hopeful that the Watkins fight can finally be made.

The Irish trainer told the Advertiser that he had spoken to Bennett’s manager about the possible summer tear-up.

“Lawrence’s manager told me that they had spoken to the board and that he is next in line for the English title,” Fitzpatrick said.

“If Matty Askin (the English champion who faces British and Commonwealth champion Ovill McKenzie tomorrow night) wins then Lawrence is likely to fight for the vacant belt.

“But if Askin loses then he will have to face Lawrence and it could be sometime before that happens.

“If that is the case then Steve said that would be looking for something for Lawrence in the interim and that they could be interested.

“I think that Lawrence has four months to defend his Southern Area title and I think that is the route we are looking to take Duke down.”