NICK Blackwell has promised to live up to his ‘Bang Bang’ nickname when he faces Chris Eubank Jr in the new year.

Trowbridge’s reigning British champion has been lined up to meet the man every middleweight in the country wants to face.

And after Blackwell’s promoter Mick Hennessy won the purse bids to stage the fight last week, that contest has taken a huge step to coming to fruition.

Eubank Jr terminated his three-fight deal with Matchroom last weekend on the news that they had lost out to Hennessy, and 25-year-old Blackwell says that Eubank Sr and his promoter have held talks over the last seven days.

“It is looking like this fight is going to happen,” Blackwell said. “His old man has been in talks with Mick and he really wants the fight to happen.

“We’ve been chasing this fight for a long time and I know I beat him – I knock him out – 100 per cent.”

Blackwell says that the original plan for his third defence of his Lonsdale belt was to be on the undercard of the Tyson Fury-Wladmir Klitschko rematch.

However, no date has been confirmed for that heavyweight clash and now it is looking like the Gary Lockett-trained champion will now step into the limelight and become the main event.

“March 19 has been mentioned as a potential date for the fight but nothing has been confirmed yet,” Blackwell said.

“It is likely to be in London, somewhere like the Copper Box or the Excel (Arena) – a venue that can hold 10-15,000 people.

“I never thought that when I first laced up a glove this would happen so I’m buzzing – it’s a dream come true.”

Blackwell has already begun training for his clash with Eubank Jr, who is also the WBA world number one, and is putting thoughts of Christmas to one side.

“I’m working hard already in Trowbridge. I’m training with my amateur coach and staying in contact with Gary about what I need to do,” Blackwell said.

“Then I go back down with Gary in January – I’m going to have a solid three-month camp, I’m not going to get sloppy over Christmas.”