SWINDON trainer Paddy Fitzpatrick believes a title unification meeting between his Commonwealth cruiserweight champion Luke Watkins and British title holder Matty Askin “makes sense”, revealing the wheels are in motion to make the match-up a reality in 2018.

‘The Duke’ Watkins successfully defended his belt after the eighth-round retirement of veteran opponent Mike Stafford in Leicester earlier this month and has already made plain his desire to seek the Lonsdale strap.

Blackpool’s Askin, who stopped Craig Kennedy to win the domestic title in May, has also since made clear his willingness to take on the Wiltshire man, with Fitzpatrick admitting the two camps had been in contact for several weeks over the possibility.

“I think at the level they’re at, a unification would be a good way to go,” the Ferndale Road-based trainer told the Swindon Advertiser.

“I think a fight with Matty Askin, who I rate very highly and is one of those fighters who has improved with age, would be good.

“I think it’s a dangerous fight for Duke, but it’s also a dangerous fight for Matty Askin.

“They both have the beating of each other, but obviously we’d be focusing on how Duke beats him. That is a good fight.”

Fitzpatrick believes a meeting with Askin would be a natural next stage for Watkins.

He added: “It’s a fight that makes sense. I have been talking to Matty’s manager. We have been talking back and forth for the last few weeks and it looks like both of us want that fight so now it’s just can we make sense of that fight. Time will tell.

“A British title is a good belt to have. A Commonwealth title is a good belt to have.

“But unifications between the British and Commonwealth have always been big fights and big events.

“With the cruiserweights at world level and the amount of talent coming through at domestic level, you look at the top 10 alone, it’s an exciting division and Duke is ranked number two now.”