MALMESBURY’S Joe Hughes is switching his focus to making 2015 a year to remember after his Southern Area light-welterweight title defence was shelved.

Hughes, 24, was set to put his Southern Area belt on the line in Bristol on December 13 but that bill at the Action Sports Centre has been cancelled.

However, Hughes has bigger fish to fry and will now prepare for his sanctioned English title eliminator against Liverpool’s Robbie Davis Jr (7-0), which has a purse bid deadline of next Wednesday.

“I don’t think they could find me an opponent (for December 10). We tried everyone that was eligible but nobody wanted to fight me,” said Hughes (10-1), who trains at Paddy John’s Gym in Bristol.

“The show’s now been cancelled anyway. I’ve spoken about finally fighting regularly so it’s frustrating but it’s not the end of the world.

“I’ll just have to concentrate on making next year a big year.

“I’ve got my English eliminator to think about and hopefully that will happen around February time. I’m fighting Robbie Davies Jr, who’s an unbeaten kid and a good kid.

“The purse bids are supposed to happen soon but I don’t think I’ll know a date.

“It definitely won’t not happen because of anything on my end and if it doesn’t, I guess I’ll go straight in for the English.

“I’ve been training well and if a fight came up, I’d be ready to jump in, but I don’t think I’ll do anything before Christmas now.

“I’ll probably have about a week off at Christmas and that will be it.”