PADDY Fitzpatrick is hoping to get Eamonn O’Kane in an all-Irish showdown with Gary 'Spike' O’Sullivan this summer.

The Swindon-trained middleweight, who defends his IBF inter-continental title on March 12 at the Oasis Leisure Centre, is looking to get back on the cusp of a world title opportunity again following his points loss to Tureano Johnson last year in a final eliminator for IBF world crown.

O’Sullivan is also aiming to get himself back into the mix following his seventh-round retirement to Chris Eubank Jr in a WBA middleweight world title final eliminator in December.

O’Kane’s trainer Fitzpatrick, who is based on Ferndale Road, would like to see the contest as part of a huge night of Irish middleweight boxing, with former WBO champion Andy Lee and three-time world middleweight title-challenger Matthew Macklin squaring off against each other.

“Some went on Twitter the other day suggesting that Andy Lee fights Matthew Macklin and Eamonn faces Spike,” Fitzpatrick said.

“Now that would be a huge night for Irish boxing. Eamonn and Spike are both open to the idea, so am I, and so is Spike’s trainer.

“Someone tweeted the idea (of a Macklin-Lee fight) to Eddie Hearn (Matchroom promoter) but he was on holiday last week and he said that Matthew was fighting in April, and that maybe it was something that could possibly happen in the summer.

“So I’m now going to contact Eddie Hearn about the idea of Eamonn and Spike.

“It is a fight that would make the winner relevant on the world stage again. They both have their rankings but they are both in their 30s and coming off losses in final eliminators. The winner would be back in the mix.

“I don’t think that Ireland has had so many fighters in the same weight division at world level.

“Eamonn and Spike are on board - hopefully we can get a promoter on board and have the other fight happen.”