Hughes focused on Mooney ahead of potential British title shot

The Rossington super flyweight meets Mooney at the First Direct Arena in Leeds on a card headlined by regular sparring partner Josh Warrington.

And he will be hoping to come through unscathed as expected after the British Boxing Board of Control opened up a route for his dream of winning a British title later this year.

The Board have ordered the 26-year-old to face Barnsley-based Andy Townend in a final eliminator for the British super featherweight title.

The clash has been mooted for some time as the two South Yorkshire fighters progressed through the early stages of their career, especially with ‘KO Kid’ Townend mainly fighting out of Hughes’ native Doncaster under Stefy Bull’s banner.

And it will be a chance for the pair to settle an historic score, having faced each other four times in their amateur careers.

Each man has two wins over the other.

Big punching Townend’s English title will also be on the line with the fight ordered to take place before the end of August.

Hughes - trained in Lindholme by Dave Hulley and Jimmy Harrington - cannot afford to look beyond tonight’s opponent Mooney.

But he will be expecting a routine victory after convincingly outpointing the Worcester fighter two and a half years ago in Sheffield.

Mooney has won five of his 19 fights since the first meeting.

Tonight’s fight comes almost a year to the day from Hughes’ rematch defeat in a hellacious battle with Martin J Ward in Leeds.