Matty Clarkson primed for return to the ring after coming out of retirement

The 31-year-old fighter is primed to appear at the Guild Hall, in Preston, on March 31 against an opponent yet to be confirmed.

Light-heavyweight Clarkson has not fought since losing to Bob Ajisafe at the end of 2014 at Glow Bluewater, in Greenhithe.

Not long after that defeat, he was advised to retire on health grounds due to a ruptured nerve in his neck.

However, having received a second opinion and further treatment on the old injury, Clarkson – who used to be a defender for Bamber Bridge – has decided that he is ready to resume his career.

As a professional, the former Central Area title holder won 12 and lost three of 15 bouts.

Clarkson said: “I can confirm that my next fight will be at the Guild Hall on the Easter Bank holiday weekend.

“I’ve been waiting for this a long time now and the comeback means a lot to me.”

Clarkson certainly made a name for himself during his first spell as a fighter, especially his bravery.

His penultimate fight against Travis Dickinson was voted as the fight of the year in 2014.

Clarkson recovered from two knockdowns in the opening two rounds and a huge swelling to his cheek, to put his opponent on the canvas four times.

However, the JR Gym fighter was stopped in the sixth round when referee Michael Alexander decided to end the contest due to the gruesome nature of Clarkson’s injury.

Meanwhile Scott Fitzgerald is also hoping for an outing in March, although no specific date or time has been fixed.

The light-middleweight ace – who won the Commonwealth Games gold medal in 2014 – has seen his progress as a professional hindered over the last year or two due to a number of niggly injuries.

However, the 26-year-old, who trains at Jennings Gym, in Chorley, is keen to make up for lost time in 2018 and is hoping to fight for a English title before the year’s out.

Stablemate Mark Jeffers is set to get his campaign underway next month.

The 19-year-old middleweight will appear at the Bolton Whites Hotel, at Bolton Wanderers Macron Stadium on February 24.