LAWRENCE Bennett’s manager Steve Goodwin is hoping to have the Bad Boy installed as the mandatory challenger for the English cruiserweight title next week.

The 32-year-old, who successfully defended his Southern Area crown last month with a first round stoppage of Jamie Hearn at the York Hall, was originally ordered to face Tony Conquest in an English title eliminator.

However, former Commonwealth champion Conquest withdrew from the purse bids and now Goodwin is trying to get the board to name his Swindon southpaw as the mandatory challenger to Matty Askin’s crown.

Askin was unsuccessful in his bid to become British and Commonwealth cruiserweight champion following a scrappy points loss to Ovill McKenzie last weekend, with the Blackpool challenger fortunate not to get disqualified for excessive holding.

And on that performance, Goodwin is confident that Bennett can become English champion.

“Lawrence beats Matty Askin definitely,” Goodwin said. “At the moment, we are waiting to hear from the board, who are meeting next week, to see if they name Lawrence as the mandatory for the English title.

“If Matty doesn’t want it, then we will look for the board to mandate another opponent for Lawrence. The aim is to have Lawrence fighting by July, hopefully for the English title, and in London.”

Should Bennett have to wait for his chance for his shot at the English belt, Goodwin says that he is likely to defend his Southern Area title.

But his manager has ruled out a summer meet with Swindon rival Luke Watkins, who has been climbing up the rankings.

“Lawrence is on the cusp of an English title - it makes no sense for him to fight Luke Watkins and I have told Paddy (Fitzpatrick, Watkins’ trainer) this,” said Goodwin.

“It is very easy for someone who has had four fights to call Lawrence out because at this stage, it is not going to happen.

“Maybe in a year, when Luke has got himself up to eight or nine wins - I’ve have got a super-middleweight but we are not going to start calling out George Groves.”

Goodwin mentioned that Bennett could face former British heavyweight and cruiserweight title challenger Micky Steeds as the second defence of his Southern Area title, should he not get an English title shot in the summer.

Steeds went the distance with former British heavyweight champion Scott Gammer before stepping down to the cruiserweight division, where he fought the unorthodox southpaw Lonsdale belt holder Rob Norton, again going the full 12 rounds.

In his last outing, Steeds claimed a second round stoppage of Danny Fleary in November, while the Londoner has also gone five rounds with current IBF world champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez.