By Terence Dooley
Hartlepool hero Michael Hunter has been made mandatory challenger for the British super-bantamweight title held by Jason Booth, he will be granted a crack at Jason should Booth overcome Rocky Dean (who was knocked out in a round by Hunter in 2003) at the York Hall on the 30th of this month.
Hunter, a former world title challenger, was once a British, European and Commonwealth king, and hopes to use the British title as his launch pad towards another world title tilt.
Hunter has not looked the same fighter since losing to Steve Molitor in 2006 for the vacant IBF super-bantamweight title. Hunter was not at the races that night, and has fought infrequently over the past few years, even retiring briefly after looking jaded in a fight against Youssef Al Hamidi last February. Since that night Hunter has grabbed a comeback win over Osman Aktas, although Hunter looked less than sparkling in that fight.
Now, though, Hunter has something to aim at, and the British title has given him fresh focus, he told The Hartlepool Mail that. “I've been praying that the Board would make me the mandatory challenger."
Hunter is 31, an aging fighter in a division that favours the young; still, champion Booth is also 31, so there is every chance that Hunter could reclaim a portion of his former glory.
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