Cradley’s Chris Male is looking for a new opponent for his return to the ring at Walsall Town Hall next month after Stoyan Serbezov pulled out through injury.

The Bulgarian is facing a lengthy period on the sidelines after tearing the ligaments in his elbow in the first round of his fight against Terry Flannigan last Saturday night, which was stopped early on in the second session at the Doncaster Dome.

It will rule Serbezov out of the six-rounder on February 26, which is Male’s first fight since breaking his right hand in two places during his first title win last June.

The British Masters featherweight champion couldn’t punch for three months after that, but has been back in full training since November.

His comeback is fast approaching but Male has took the time to express his regret at what has happened to his scheduled opponent.

He said: “Nobody wants to hear of anybody getting injured, especially after what happened to me last time.

“I wish him all the best, I don’t know him but I know what he is going through.”

Unbeaten Male will reach double figures with 10 straight wins since turning pro in September 2008 should he beat the replacement next month.

A shot at the vacant English title has been mooted ever since the 28-year-old won his first belt, as part of a seemingly-inevitable collision course against Leicester’s Del Rogers.

Rogers holds the Midlands title that Male is still a top contender to, but the fight has been on and off for the last 12 months.

Crawley’s former International Masters champion Ben Jones has now entered the equation as a possible co-challenger for Male, who wants to be put in for the English belt as soon as possible.

He said: “I will look forward to it, whoever is on the other side of the ring.

“But if I had to put my money on who that would be, it would probably be Ben Jones, because I have been asking to fight Del Rogers for a year already.

“I am not knocking the lad and I don’t know too much about his situation, but it seems to me that they have well and truly wrapped him up in cotton wool.”

For tickets to the show in Walsall, call promoter Paul ‘PJ’ Rowson on 07976 283 157.