By Nick Halling
Martin Gethin and Derry Mathews are due to meet next month for the vacant WBA Intercontinental lightweight title, but word on the grapevine suggests that the British title could also be on the line.
Gethin won the belt in January 2013 with a ninth round stoppage of Ben Murphy. Despite the lightweight division being one of the busiest in British boxing, he has yet to defend it. Mathews is a former holder of the crown, having shocked Anthony Crolla with a sixth round stoppage in 2012.
Gethin and Mathews are set to meet on 10 May, with the latter enjoying home advantage at the Liverpool Olympia. The Intercontinental title might provide a route to a world ranking, but adding the Lonsdale belt would make perfect sense. As Gethin is the current owner, getting a deal to have two titles up for grabs should not be difficult to achieve, and would also add an extra splash of spice for a fight which has already whetted the appetite.
Assuming there are no last minute hitches, an official announcement could be made as early as later this week.
Nick Halling is a commentator for Sky Sports.
