BRITISH boxing returns with a bang in the spring after Eddie Hearn revealed a stacked start to 2022 with two Englishmen in major world title fights inside two months.
Leeds hero Josh Warrington gets a shot at redemption and his former IBF featherweight world title when he faces old foe Kiko Martinez on March 26 in his hometown.
And that comes a month after Hackney light-heavyweight WBO champ Lawrence Okolie defends his crown in London on February 27.
Nottingham ace Leigh Wood and Ireland’s Michael Conlan will try to clean up the greedy WBA’s confused featherweight division on March 12.
Mexico’s Leo Santa Cruz is the bonafide super champion but has not defended that title since 2018.
But Wood won the regular version of the title with a sensational win over Can Xu last year and Conlan holds an interim title from the cash-grabbing sanctioning body.
Hopefully the winner of the City Ground clash will be elevated to super-champion status or face Santa Cruz.
Tricky Portsmouth southpaw Michael McKinson bravely travels to America to face violent KO artist Vergil Ortiz on an away Golden Boy show on March 19.
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The Southpaw will need a life-changing performance and fair judging to pull off the upset on foreign soil.
Islington’s John Ryder – who was cruelly robbed of a super-middleweight world title win over Callum Smith in 2019 – finally gets another big fight when he lures Danny Jacobs to the Ally Pally on February 12.
And Liverpool’s Liam Smith kicks it all off on February 5 with trip to America to face Jessie Vargas.
Matchroom boss Hearn said: “We ended 2021 with a bang and I can’t wait to get started in 2022.
“It’s going to be such an exciting year for Matchroom and DAZN with massive events all over the world.
“And I’m delighted with the early schedule we’ve put together, unifications, world title action and career-defining nights.
“There’s so much drama packed into these nights, and we’ve got plenty more to add soon.”
Hearn is also close to agreeing a fight between his Mexican WBC flyweight world champion Julio Cesar Martinez and Croydon’s IBF master Sunny Edwards.
The Essex fight magnate will also have a hand in arranging Anthony Joshua’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
And he will lodge a purse bid with the WBC on January 11 in an effort to have Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte on his streaming platform.
UK fight fans will also have Frank Warren and BT Sports shows announced soon.
And Sky Sports will be hoping their brilliant February schedule of Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Williams (Feb 5), Amir Khan vs Kell Brook (Feb 19) and Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall (Feb 26) are not too disrupted by Covid or restrictions.
Fights list in full
Feb 5 – Cardiff – Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Williams
Feb 5 – USA – Jessie Vargas vs Liam Smith
Feb 12 – London – Daniel Jacobs vs John Ryder
Feb 19 – Manchester – Amir Khan vs Kel Brook
Feb 26 – Glasgow – Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall
Feb 27 – London – Lawrence Okolie vs TBC
Mar 12 – Nottingham – Leigh Wood vs Mick Conlan
Mar 19 – USA – Vergil Ortiz vs Michal McKinson
Mar 26 – Leeds – Kiko Martinez vs Josh Warrington 2
