FOR A split-second, Nick Blackwell almost dared to dream that his next British middleweight title defence would actually be against Chris Eubank Jr.

A host of names across the country’s middleweight division have long chased a showdown with the son of former world champion Chris Eubank - and Trowbridge ace Blackwell says that his promoter Mick Hennessy came close to securing a bout with Eubank Jr, who currently tops the British rankings, only for the negotiations to fall through.

Instead, ‘Bang Bang’ Blackwell, who turns 25 this month, is now set to defend his coveted Lonsdale strap live on Channel 5 at the top of a Hennessy Sports bill at Bristol’s City Academy on Saturday, November 14.

The Trowbridge star (18-3-1) is expecting to be matched up with unbeaten former Southern Area champion Elliott Matthews (15-0-1) but if his second voluntary defence is a success – Blackwell knocked out challenger Damon Jones in July – he remains hopeful that his potential bid to win the British title outright could be against Eubank Jr.

“Mick told me that he’d spoken to Adam Booth (Eubank Jr’s new trainer) and they were keen on the fight,” said Blackwell.

“Booth saw me fight (Sergey) Khomitsky (a draw in Monaco in October 2014) and I wasn’t very good in that one so he probably thought Eubank could take me.

“We offered them everything they wanted but I knew that he’d bottle it and he did.

“Now, he’s fighting a bum (Tony Jeter) on October 24 and he’ll probably end up fighting Spike O’Sullivan in December.

“That’s a 50-50 fight and I hope Spike knocks him out but maybe I could get Eubank for my mandatory defence.”

Blackwell’s last outing – his first time headlining a bill on terrestrial television – saw him emphatically stop the previously unbeaten Jones in Derby and ‘Bang Bang’, who trains under Gary Lockett in Cardiff, sees a lot of similarities in the challenge posed by 34-year-old Watford man Matthews.

The Trowbridge champion said: “If it does end up being Elliott Matthews, it’ll be another tough fight for me, maybe even tougher than the last one.

“But that’s good because I’m not interested in easy fights. I can’t get myself motivated for them.”

Late last month, speaking about challenging Blackwell, Matthews told the Watford Observer: “Blackwell has some guts.

“He’s fought hard to achieve what he has and you have to respect him for that, but I still feel there have been better British champions and I would beat him.”