Christopher Keane eyes May return

Walsall's Christopher Keane is hoping to get his year up and running in May after admitting "it's wide open" in the cruiserweight division.

The former ABA heavyweight champion hasn't boxed since December, but is undefeated in four as a pro and has former world champion Barry McGuigan as his manager.

McGuigan also has talented Northern Irishman Carl Frampton and Coventry's Troy James in his camp and Keane is the only one of the three not to have fought this year.

But Keane is hoping Frampton's nomination by the European Boxing Union to co-challenge for the vacant European Union super bantamweight title against Spain's Joaquin Cespedes will have repercussions for him as well.

The deadline for purse bids has been set for April 7 and McGuigan is expected to make an offer in the hope of staging the fight at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, where Keane twice boxed on the undercard with hometown hero Frampton in the main event last year.

Keane relies on boxing as his sole profession so is desperate to get back into the ring as soon as possible, with all attempts to find a local sponsor so far proving unsuccessful.

Times have become so tough financially for the 24-year-old that, when he got his alternator replaced on his Vauxhall Vectra recently, ASK Motors in Bloxwich agreed to take payment for the work after he had been paid for his next fight.

Living at home with mum Christine and older brother Ashley has cut down on living costs but Keane is ring ready, is already within the 14st 4lb cruiserweight limit and is training regularly at the Red Corner gym in Coventry.

And the ex-Pleck amateur has ambitions to fulfil in a plan to eventually take on 'the old guard,' led by Stourbridge's British champion Rob Norton and English title holder Terry Dunstan.

Both are proven performers but Norton is 38 and Dunstan is 42, with Keane believing the time is right for a "young gun" to take them out.

He said: "I am looking to be back in the ring as soon as possible, obviously I haven't fought for three months so my funds are running out.

"I need more fights to get the experience, it's wide open and I will be staying at cruiserweight.

"All of the champions are all getting old now and it's time for the young guns to come up."

A possible option for Keane to be fast-tracked up the domestic ladder is if rumours of a third cruiserweight Prizefighter prove to be true.

The second offering last year featured the likes of five-fight novice Leon Williams while the eventual winner, Jon-Lewis Dickinson, was stopped and badly hurt in his following two fights.

With successful activity, not to mention his amateur background, Keane could be a name in the frame should the eight-man tournament come around again.

He said: "It would be nice, it's £32,000 for the winner. It's £4,000 just to be in the first round. At the end of the day, you come away with a nice wage even if you don't win it.

"The last cruiserweight Prizefighter was terrible and I am ready to fight whenever the time comes.

"That's what I have got to do now really."