NICK Blackwell's hopes of finally facing much-hyped middleweight rival Chris Eubank Junior in the ring may have moved a step closer, thanks to the British Boxing Board of Control.

Trowbridge's British middleweight champion Blackwell, 25, defends his title for the second time in front of the national television cameras against Blackpool's Jack Arnfield in Bristol tomorrow night.

Arnfield stepped in at short notice following an injury to original challenger Elliott Matthews, with the contest taking place at Bristol's City Academy live on Channel Five.

But assuming he emerges with his title intact, Blackwell's next assignment looks likely to be Eubank after the BBBoC decreed that the winner of this weekend's contest should face the Brighton fighter.

Purse bids for the contest have been opened until December 16 with the contest to take place befoire the end of March next year.

Eubank Jr, ranked as British number one despite Blackwell holding the domestic strap, destroyed Tony Jeter in their recent WBA interim title fight and is set to face Spike O'Sullivan in a WBA world title eliminator at London's O2 next month.

Blackwell though has been itching to take on his rival, recently saying: "Eubank Jr would never have the guts to fight me with a full eight or ten-week training camp behind me.

“He knows exactly what would happen if I was given that amount of time to prepare. He's been in the ring with me before and he knows he wasn't able to handle me.”

FOLLOW THE NEWS AND REACTION FROM BLACKWELL'S FIGHT TOMORROW NIGHT AT WILTSHIRETIMES.CO.UK/SPORT AND ON TWITTER @WTSport, PLUS ALL THE REACTION IN NEXT WEEK'S WILTSHIRE TIMES