DUDLEY middleweight Jamie Ball is ready to take to the ring again after recovering from knee surgery.

The unbeaten 25-year-old goes in search of his tenth professional win when he takes on Lester Walsh at Wolverhampton’s Civic Hall on Sunday June 6.

But Ball’s participation was in serious doubt as late as two weeks ago as he struggled to get over an operation to repair cartilage in his right knee, undergone at the end of March after his last win over Martyn King.

Ball said: “It looked like I was going to have to pull out of the fight.

“I had the operation at the end of March but went back into training a bit too quickly, which knocked me back a bit.

“I was really suffering and couldn’t keep up with what the rest of the lads at the gym were doing.

“It got to the stage where I was worried about damaging my knee again.

“I took a couple of days off and when I got back on my running the problems seemed to have cleared up.”

Leicester-based Walsh has a record of just two wins from 10 professional bouts but has fought a number of middleweight prospects including Pat McAleese and Harry Matthews.

Ball has plenty of motivation to win after revealing he could get a title shot late in the year.

He added: “He has been in with some tough customers, he is a short, stocky type of fighter.

“His record does not really do him justice.

“The plan is to have a fight over eight rounds in September and then I’ve been promised a title shot in December.

“I have got a route mapped out for the rest of the year, now it’s up to me to do the business.”

The June 6 show will features three big title showdowns. Borough welterweight’s Richie Ghent and Martin Gordon duke it out for the British Masters crown while unbeaten featherweight Chris Male faces Wiltshire’s Luke Richards for the featherweight title.

Jason McDermott, brother of Dudley’s former English middleweight champion Darren, is another puncher making his paid debut. Stourbridge’s Kevin McCauley is also scheduled to appear on the bill.

McCauley was last in action on Sunday, defeating Ryan Power in Bristol for his fifth professional win.

More information and tickets are available from PJ Rowson on 07976 283157.