ADAM ETCHES and Scott Jenkins hope that boxing on Hatton Promotions ‘Road To Glory’ bill will be a stepping stone towards their first professional titles.

The unbeaten Sheffield pair will be in action at Manchester Velodrome on Saturday 16th June.

One of the show’s big attractions sees Scott Quigg challenge Rendall Munroe for the vacant interim WBA super-bantamweight crown.

But unbeaten middleweight Etches hopes chalking up his eighth straight professional win will put him on championship course.

Etches, 21, said: “When Richard Poxon lets me off the leash I will be prepared to fight anyone.

“There are a lot of fighters who are mates of mine in the middleweight divisions, but boxing is a business and they are the sort of fighters I have to beat to get to the top.”

Etches has just returned from a trip to Las Vegas, where he had hoped to see Amir Khan fight Lamont Peterson.

He explained: “The fight was cancelled, but I still decided to go over there and try to enjoy myself.

“I didn’t go to any gyms, but I ticked over every day in the hotel gym to keep my weight right.”

Super-featherweight Jenkins, 21, has won his all five professional fights, and is another Hatton Promotions hopeful going in the right direction.

His fight next month will coincide with his first 12 months as a professional boxer.

He added: “It has been a good 12 months for me and I have learnt a lot. I hope to make more progression in the coming year.

“The biggest thing I have done is slowing down my pace from the amateurs and the professional code is harder than you think.

“It is very different getting hit by 8oz gloves and wearing no head guard as well!”

The ‘Road To Glory’ bill also features a vacant European light-middleweight  title fight between Ryan Rhodes and Sergey Rabchenko and Richard Towers facing Gregory Tony for the vacant EU heavyweight crown.

In a special attraction unbeaten British middleweight champion Martin Murray meets French title holder Karim Achour.

There will be a talent stacked undercard that will include former British and Commonwealth welterweight champion Craig Watson, unbeaten hopefuls Lucas Browne, Kallum De’Ath, Jazza Dickens, Adam Etches, Scott Jenkins and Adam Little.

Ticket prices are selling fast.  All VIP tickets have been sold. There are a few £100 Ringside left. Also available are £55, £35 and £30. You can purchase tickets by calling Hatton Promotions hotline 01925 755 222/www.ticketmaster.co.uk/0844 847 2500/www.ticketline.co.uk/0844 888 4402/www.hmv.com

HATTON PROMOTIONS latest overseas star Zhanat Zhakiyanov is closing in on the European bantamweight title.

‘The Kazakh Kid’ is the number one contender for the EBU belt and expects to become mandatory challenger after the vacant title fight between Bristol’s Lee Haskins and Stephane Jamoye.

Zhakiyanov, 24, scored his 18th win in 19 fights at the weekend knocking out useful Timur Shailezov in three rounds.

It was his 11th inside the distance win, and the last punch was delivered with such force that it broke two of hapless Shailezov’s ribs!

Zhakiyanov’s team want Ricky Hatton to train him and hopes to give British fans a glimpse of his punching power in September.

Hatton Promotions European agent Philippe Fondu is part of the team overseeing the red hot prospect’s career, and believe British fans will love his style.

Fondu purred: “In the ring this kid is an animal.

“The Kazak school of boxing has always been a very good one, and they have now some good champions like Beibut Shumenov and Gennady Golovkin.

“Zhakiyanov is a great body puncher and a skilled boxer.

“I want him to come to Manchester, like another of my European fighters Sergey  Rabchenko, and be trained by Ricky for the European title challenge.

“I wouldn't ask Ricky to prepare a kid if I didn't believe he's an outstanding talent.”